The Centre’s decision to rename the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) as the Prime Ministers’ Museum and Society has drawn criticism from the Congress. Jairam Ramesh, a senior leader and spokesperson for the Congress, expressed his disapproval on Twitter, stating, “Pettiness & Vengeance, thy name is Modi. For over 59 years, NMML has been a global intellectual landmark and treasure house of books & archives. It will henceforth be called Prime Ministers Museum & Society. What won’t Mr. Modi do to distort, disparage and destroy the name & legacy of the architect of the Indian nation-state. A small, small man overburdened by his insecurities is the self-styled Vishwaguru.”
The decision to rename the institution came after a special meeting of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society, chaired by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, who is also the Vice-President of the Society. Singh welcomed the proposal, highlighting that the new name would showcase the contributions of all prime ministers, from Jawaharlal Nehru to Narendra Modi, and their responses to various challenges.
In 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had initially proposed the idea of establishing a museum dedicated to all the prime ministers of India. The project received approval, and on April 21 of the following year, the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya was inaugurated to the public. Notably, no member of the Nehru-Gandhi family, including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi, attended the inauguration, despite receiving invitations. These three family members have previously served as Indian Prime Ministers.
The museum itself has been a popular destination, featuring a seamless blend of the renovated Nehru Museum building, which highlights the life and contributions of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, and a new building that chronicles the leadership of India’s prime ministers in navigating the nation through various challenges and promoting overall progress.
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