Modi can never take away...": Jairam hits out at Centre over renaming of NMML

NEW DELHI: Hitting out at the Centre over the official renaming of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) in the national capital, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi can never take away the gigantic contributions of Jawaharlal Nehru in the country's freedom struggle.

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."

"He has erased N and put P instead. That P is really for pettiness and peeve. But he can never take away Nehru's gigantic contributions to the freedom movement and his towering achievements in building the democratic, secular, scientific and liberal foundations of the Indian nation-state, all of which are now under assault by Mr Modi and his drumbeaters," the Congress leader added. Ramesh said further the legacy of Jawaharlal Nehru will continue to inspire future generations.

"Despite the relentless assault, Jawaharlal Nehru’s legacy will live on for the world to see and he will continue to inspire generations to come," he said. Earlier, on Wednesday, the vice-chairman of the Prime Ministers' Museum and Library (PMML), A Surya Prakash, took to X to inform of the renaming of the museum.

"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! PM Narendra Modi, Rajnath Singh, Min Of Culture GoI,” Prakash posted on X. The Union Culture Ministry put out an official word that it had decided to change the name of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society to the 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 also the vice-president of the Society. The 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. The Culture Ministry, in its release, said the museum is a "seamless blend that begins at the renovated and refurbished Nehru Museum building, now completely updated with technologically advanced displays on the life and contribution of Jawaharlal Nehru".