Centre Renames Nehru Memorial As Prime Ministers' Museum And Library Congress Hits Out 'Pm Modi Can Never Take Away..'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) "The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) has officially been renamed as the Prime Ministers' Museum and Library (PMML) Society.In a tweet on X, formerly known as Twitter, PMML vice-chairman A Surya Prakash wrote,“Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) is now Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) Society w.e.f August 14, 2023 – in tune with the democratisation and diversification of the remit of the society. Happy Independence Day! @narendramodi, @rajnathsingh @MinOfCultureGoI.Hitting out at the Centre, congress leader Jairam Ramesh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi can never take away the gigantic contributions of Jawaharlal Nehru in the country's freedom struggle. He further added the legacy of Jawaharlal Nehru will continue to inspire future generations.Taking to his official handle on X, formerly Twitter, Ramesh posted on Wednesday,“From today, an iconic institution gets a new name. The world-renowned Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) becomes PMML-Prime Ministers' Memorial Museum and Library. Mr Modi possesses a huge bundle of fears, complexes and insecurities, especially when it comes to our first and longest-serving Prime Minister. He has had a single-point agenda of denying, distorting, defaming and destroying Nehru and the Nehruvian legacy.”Replying to Jairam Ramesh's claims, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said,“There is a basic difference between the thinking of Congress party and Jairam Ramesh & PM Narendra Modi. They (Congress) think that only Nehru ji and family matters. Narendra Modi gave a respectful position to all the PMs of the country at the museum...Why did Lal Bahadur Shastri get no space there? There was neither Indira Gandhi nor Rajiv Gandhi there nor Morarji Desai or Chaudhary Charan Singh or Atal Bihari Vajpayee or IK Gujral or HD Deve Gowda...When all the PMs are getting a space, it is becoming Pradhanmantri Smriti Library...”Another Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit called the change in name nothing but a frustrated mindset. While speaking to news agency ANI, he said,“An institution was named after him and a museum was built to reflect his tenure...If you (Centre) had to make an institution on other PMs, you could have done it. But if you suppress or remove something, it means that your motive was never exhibition but an attempt to suppress the golden history of India...”Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has also reacted to the name changing of Nehru Memorial to Prime Ministers' Museum and Library (PMML) Society. \"What else are they left with?...You may change the name of the building but you can't change the name of Pandit Nehru that is mentioned in history. You can't change the history created by Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Savarkar ji...You can't create a history like them so you are changing names,\" he said as quoted by ANI.Defending the Prime Minister's descision, A. Surya Prakash, Vice-Chairman, Executive Council, Prime Ministers Museum & Library said,“PM Modi felt that we must have a museum of PMs. The question arose, where it could be located. The PM gave the responsibility to what was earlier known as Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML). The reason is that we have a 28-acre estate there...That is the ideal location because we already have Nehru Museum there and the idea was to showcase the work of all PMs of India. I think that was great idea and he gave that responsibility to Nehru Memorial Museum and Library.”\"I think we are very privileged and honoured to take up that responsibility. So, this began some years ago. Last year, the PM inaugurated the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya where we have showcased the work of all PMs. Once the remit of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library changed, it got diversified. In a sense, it got democratised. Naturally, the name of the institution also had to reflect that new name and responsibility that the institution has,\" he further added.
While speaking to ANI, Union Minister Arjun Munda said the country is not through a person but through a system and institution. \"This country belongs to everyone. The country is not through a person but through a system and institution. This is a democracy...The PM is not a person but an institution. So, the Museum has been dedicated to all the PMs who served this nation...\"Meanwhile, in mid-June, during a special meeting of the NMML Society, it was resolved to change its name to PMML Society. The Culture Ministry had then said that it had decided to change the name of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society to Prime Ministers' Museum and Library Society.The decision was taken at a special meeting of the Memorial Museum and Library Society which was presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is the Vice-President of the Society. This project was approved by Executive Council, NMML in its 162nd meeting held in November 2016. The Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya was opened to the public on April 21 last year.During the inauguration, despite having received an invitation from the government, no member of the Nehru-Gandhi family was present for the function. Three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi have served as Prime Ministers of the country.(With inputs from ANI)

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