"Nehru-ji is known for work he did and not just his name": Rahul

NEW DELHI: Amid the raging controversy around the renaming of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) in the national capital to Prime Ministers’ Memorial Museum and Library (PMML), Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said his great grandfather was known more for the work he did in his time and not just for his name.

Speaking to ANI at the Delhi airport before departing for a two-day visit to Leh, Rahul said, "Nehru-ji ki pehchaan unke karam hai, unka naam nahi (Nehru-ji is known for his work and not his name)."

Earlier, a war of words broke out between the BJP and the Opposition parties over the renaming of the Nehru Memorial Museum to Prime Minister's Museum and Library. 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."

The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) was officially renamed the Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library (PMML) by the Centre on Monday. Meanwhile Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library (PMML) Vice Chairman of Executive Council, A Surya Prakash on Wednesday said the new museum showcases the achievements and the contributions of Jawaharlal Nehru to the nation, adding that those dubious about the same should visit it.

"Anyone visiting the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) can see how we have showcased Nehru, his temples of modern India, the Hirakud Dam, Nagarajuna Sagar Dam, his idea of setting up institutes of technology, and Planning Commission in his 17-year tenure as PM at the Teen Murti Bhavan," he said.

Reacting to the remarks made by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh over the renaming of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) that PM Modi can never take away contributions made by Nehru during the freedom struggle, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said that for the Congress only Jawaharlal Nehru and his family matters.

"There is a basic difference between the thinking of the Congress party and Jairam Ramesh and PM Narendra Modi. They (Congress) think that only Nehru ji and the family matters. Narendra Modi gave a respectful position to all the PMs of the country at the museum," he said.

Earlier in mid-June, during a special meeting of the NMML Society, it was resolved to change its name to PMML Society. The Culture Ministry 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.