Don’t obliterate Nehru’s legacy, leave Teen Murti undisturbed: Manmohan Singh to Modi

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former PM Manmohan Singh has questioned the rationale behind the Centre’s agenda to “change the nature and character” of the historic Teen Murti Complex.

Dr Singh said that former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru “belongs not just to the Congress, but to the entire country” and therefore the Teen Murti complex should be left “undisturbed”.

Invoking former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh, in a letter which was sent last week, stated that under Vajpayee’s six-year tenure as PM, there was no attempt made to change the nature and character of Nehru Memorial Museum & Library and the Teen Murti complex in any way. But sadly, that seems to be part of the current government’s agenda.

According to the Indian Express, Singh, in his letter, has also pointed out that “no amount of revisionism” can “obliterate” Nehru’s role and his contributions. He quoted Vajpayee’s speech in Parliament when Nehru passed away and said: “As Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji himself said in his moving speech to Parliament when Panditji passed away: ‘Such a resident may never grace Teen Murti again. That vibrant personality, that attitude of taking even the opposition along, that refined gentlemanliness, that greatness we may not again see in the near future. In spite of a difference of opinion we have nothing but respect for his great ideals, his integrity, his love for the country and his indomitable courage’.”

Singh wrote: “Let us respect this sentiment and keep Teen Murti as a memorial to our first Prime Minister Pandit Nehru and leave the Teen Murti complex undisturbed as it is. This way we will be respecting both history and heritage.”

Reportedly centre plans to set up a museum for all prime ministers in the Teen Murti complex, which the Congress alleges is an attempt to “obliterate” Nehru’s legacy. It was reported in July this year that despite opposition from several Congress leaders, the Modi government had decided to go ahead with its plan of turning the Teen Murti complex into a museum for all prime ministers.