PMs' museum to be set up in Teen Murti

The Modi government has finally decided to go ahead with its plan to set up a museum of all Prime Ministers of India on the premises of Teen Murti Estate, setting aside the objections raised by Congress members in the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library society.

Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma and Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri will lay the foundation stone for the proposed museum on October 15 (Monday) at Teen Murti Estate, the official residence of first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

The Culture Ministry issued an invite to media late on Friday evening for the coverage of foundation laying event.

The government has gone ahead with its plan even as former prime minister Manmohan Singh last month wrote to his successor Narendra Modi, expressing concern over the government's attempts to change the “nature and character” of the NMML.

Singh also urged Modi to leave the Teen Murti Complex, which houses the NMML, “undisturbed,” saying this would be respecting both history and heritage.

“I recall that during the six-year tenure of Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji as Prime Minister, there was absolutely no attempt to change the nature and character of the NMML and the Teen Murti complex in any way. But sadly that it seems to be part of the agenda of the government of India now,” Singh noted in his letter to Modi on August 24.

Senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Jairam Ramesh, who are members of the NMML society, had also called on Home Minister Rajnath Singh on August 26, urging him not to dilute the legacy of Nehru.