Amid criticism, Centre lays foundation stone for 'Museum of PMs'

Congress accuses the government of diluting Nehru's legacy

Teen Murti Bhavan is dedicated to the country’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru [Image source: http://nehrumemorial.nic.in] Teen Murti Bhavan is dedicated to the country’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru [Image source: nehrumemorial.nic.in]

Weeks after former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to dilute the character of Teen Murti Bhavan, which is dedicated to the country’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, the government went ahead to start the construction of a new museum dedicated to all prime ministers in the same complex. The new three-storey musuem will showcase the work and life of all the prime ministers including Modi. 

Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma and Urban Development Minister Hardeep Puri laid the foundation stone of the Rs 271 crore project inside the iconic Teen Murti Bhavan. The project will be completed within a year, Sharma said.

This project had pitted the Congress against the BJP with the opposition party accusing the government of trying to wipe out the legacy of Nehru. The project has turned into an ideological battle between the two.

Starting with Modi, several BJP leaders have been attacking the Nehru-Gandhi family for various ills that beset the country. It's often been alleged that the ruling party is trying to make electoral gain by discrediting the historical contribution of the Congress. But bigger attempt seems to be to create a dent in the popularity of some of the Congress leaders among the larger population.

The sprawling Teen Murti Bhawan has a research library. The bungalow has been turned into a museum dedicated to Nehru and the freedom struggle. Nehru used it as his residence from 1948 to 1964 when he was the prime minister.

During its tenure, the previous UPA government had been accused of turning the Nehru Memorial Library as an extension of the Congress party as intellectuals and activists inclined to the grand old party were feted here. Since the BJP took over in 2014, a concerted effort has been made to even hold programmes and functions related to the party and its ideological fountainhead, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Under the new museum, the government wants a space to highlight all the prime ministers. “Since the institution of the prime minister is critical to Indian democracy, it deserves to be better explained. In fact, India’s democratic experience, unique as it is, has not been presented in the way it should be. 

“On one hand the Indian Parliament has curated a museum highlighting its legislative experience and on the other, the Supreme Court has also established a museum depicting India’s legal heritage and the growth of our justice delivery system. It is high time that the story of India’s Executive, represented by the prime minister, is told,” the concept note of the proposed museum states.

“It is unfortunate that the lives and works of many of our prime ministers has not been well documented. In fact many have received very little attention,” it adds.

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