'Dictatorial Attitude', 'Political Indigestion': Charges Fly As Nehru Memorial Renamed

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Friday launched an all-out attack against the Congress following its remarks on renaming of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, saying the party's inability to accept the fact that there are leaders beyond "one dynasty" is a classic example of "political indigestion". The ruling party also slammed the Congress, saying they are suffering from "Modiabind" -- blind opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This came after the Congress called the renaming the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society (NMML) here as the Prime Ministers' Museum and Library Society a "petty act" while asserting that legacies do not get erased by renaming buildings.

Reacting to the development, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said this shows the "low mentality and dictatorial attitude" of the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as they can never reduce the huge contribution of Nehru, whom he described as the architect of modern India. "Those who do not have any history, they have gone to erase the history of others. The ill-fated attempt to change the name of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library cannot belittle the personality of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the architect of modern India and fearless guardian of democracy," Kharge said in a tweet in Hindi.

"This only shows the low mentality and dictatorial attitude of BJP-RSS. The petty-thinking of the (Narendra) Modi government cannot reduce the huge contribution of 'Hind ke Jawahar' towards India," he said. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "Pettiness and vengeance, thy name is Modi. For over 59 years Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) has been a global intellectual landmark and treasure house of books and archives. It will henceforth be called Prime Ministers Museum and Society."

"What won't Mr. Modi do to distort, disparage and destroy the name and legacy of the architect of the Indian nation-state. A small, small man overburdened by his insecurities is the self-styled Vishwaguru," he said. Hitting back in a series of tweets, BJP president J P Nadda said, "Classic example of political indigestion -- the inability to accept a simple fact that there are leaders beyond one dynasty who have served and built our nation."

Every prime minister has been given respect in the prime ministers' museum and the section relating to the first prime minister Nehru has not been altered, he said. The prime ministers' museum is an effort "beyond politics", Nadda asserted and alleged that the Congress lacks "the vision to realise this".

The NMML has been renamed nearly a year after the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya was inaugurated on the premises of the Teen Murti Bhavan. "In the PM Sangrahalaya, every PM has got respect. Section relating to Pandit Nehru hasn't been altered. On the contrary, it's prestige has been enhanced," Nadda said.

The Congress' approach to the issue is "ironical" considering the party's "only contribution is to erase the legacies of all previous PMs to ensure that only the legacy of one family survives", he charged. "For a party which ruled India for over 50 years, their pettiness is really tragic. It's also the reason people are rejecting them," Nadda said.

BJP national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Sudhanshu Trivedi said the Congress is leveling allegations even though its leaders have not yet visited the museum to see how contributions and achievements of Nehru and those of his successors have been showcased in a much better way with use of technology.

He said the museum showcases the contributions and achievements of all the former prime ministers including Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, P V Narasimha Rao, Rajiv Gandhi and Manmohan Singh of the Congress. "I am deliberately taking the name of their own prime ministers. I can understand if they have some bitterness with Narasimha Rao. But, I want to know what is their problem with the achievements of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Manmohan Singh whose terms as prime minister have been showcased in an organised manner," Trivedi said.

"In their opposition to Prime Minister Modi, they are suffering from 'Modiabind'. They do not hesitate to even insult their own leaders," he charged. Trivedi reminded the Congress how the Modi government celebrated the 125th birth anniversary of Nehru in 2014 after the NDA came to power at the Centre. "I am surprised and a bit perturbed also (with the Congress' reaction in the matter)," he said and asked, "How many Congress leaders have gone there to see the Nehru Memorial."

He said the memorial of India's first prime minister at Teen Murti Bhavan was not in a very good condition. "It was gathering dust... The portion of Nehru ji's memorial has been reorganised in a much better way and it showcases his contributions and achievements with the use of advanced technology," the BJP leader added. In a series of tweets, former prime minister Chandra Shekhar's son and BJP's Rajya Sabha member Neeraj Shekhar said every prime minister, irrespective of party lines, has "got dignity and respect" with their contribution being highlighted in the PM museum.

This shows Modi's "statesmanship", he said. "Forget honouring prime ministers, Congress and their royal dynasty have insulted the prime ministers who do not belong to their dynasty. The treatment towards Narasimha Rao Ji will go down as one of the most shameful chapters of our political history," Shekhar charged. "My father, former PM Chandra Shekhar Ji always worked for national interest. He even worked with Congress but they never looked beyond one dynasty. Now, when PM Modi honoured prime ministers across party lines, Congress is getting agitated," he said, dubbing it as "horrible attitude" of the Congress.

Reacting to Kharge's remark, BJP's IT department head Amit Malaviya asked if Nehru's legacy is "so feeble" that it can't stand alongside other prime ministers, who have also served the country with "great commitment". "Or, is the Congress wary of Nehru's aura dissipating because it was built by erasing contributions of other leaders, several of them from the Congress?" he said in a tweet, adding, "The Congress must stop belittling the likes of Lal Bahadur Shashtri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, PV Narasimha Rao, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, whose contributions are no less."

The culture ministry on Friday said in a special meeting of the NMML, it was resolved to change its name to Prime Ministers' Museum and Library Society. The meeting was presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is the vice president of the society, it said.