Teen Murti Controversy: Manmohan writes strict letter to Modi

The legacy of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru seems to have become a bone of contention between Congress and BJP .The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library at New Delhi had recently hit the headlines after Congress opposed government’s idea of setting up a museum for all Prime Ministers in Teen Murti Bhavan complex. The Teen Murti Bhavan complex houses Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML). The BJP government spoke about setting up a museum of all former PMs in the complex, last month.

Former PM Dr Mamohan Singh has written a strong worded letter to his successor Narendra Modi asking him to not wipe away Jawaharlal Nehru’s legacy. In a letter written last week, Dr Singh asked PM Modi to leave Teen Murti Complex, undisturbed. In a stern message, Singh has asserted that Jawaharlal Nehru belongs “not just to the Congress” but to the “entire” country and asked PM Modi to ensure that the Teen Murti complex be left “undisturbed”. The NMML at the Teen Murti Bhavan was set up in the memory of the country’s first Prime Minister Nehru as an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture.

Pointing out that “no amount of revisionism” can “obliterate” Nehru’s role and his contributions, the former PM quoted Vajpayee’s speech in Parliament when Nehru passed away. Invoking Atal Behari Vajpayee, who died on August 16, Dr Singh wrote that during the BJP stalwart’s tenure as prime minister, “There was absolutely no attempt made to change the nature and character of NMML and Teen Murti complex in any way. But sadly, that seems to be part of the agenda of the government now.”

The former PM had earlier written to President Ram Nath Kovind asking him to caution Narendra Modi from using ‘unwarranted, threatening and intimidating language’ against leaders of the Congress or any other party as it does not suit the position of the prime minister.