As Centre's decision to rename the historic Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) in the national capital to Prime Ministers' Memorial Museum and Library (PMML) sparked a massive row, Jawaharlal Nehru's great-grandson and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today said his great-grandfather was known more for the work he did in his time and not just for his name.
"Nehru-ji ki pehchaan unke karam hai, unka naam nahi (Nehru-ji is known for his work and not his name)", Rahul Gandhi said, as per news agencies.
Centre's decision to rename the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library had earlier evoked sharp reactions from the Congress as the Teen Murti Bhavan has been known to be the official residence of India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
How did the Congress react?
Launching a scathing attack on the Centre over this controversial decision of renaming the Nehru Memorial Museum, 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, Mr 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."
Reaction from Centre
According to the Vice Chairman of PMML's Executive Council A Surya Prakash, the new museum showcases the achievements and the contributions of Jawaharlal Nehru to the nation.
"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, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad 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.
