Amid reports that the Narendra Modi government wants to make changes to the Teen Murti complex, dedicated to India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, former prime minister Manmohan Singh has written a letter to the Modi asking for the complex to not be disturbed.
The Hindu quoted Singh's letter to Modi as saying, "Jawaharlal Nehru belongs not just to the Congress but to the entire nation. It is in that spirit that I have written to you."
While the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library is dedicated exclusively to Nehru, Singh is said to have asked Modi to keep it that way and refrain from making any changes there.
Pointing out that even the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government had not made any changes to the Teen Murti complex and the museum, Singh reportedly wrote that bringing changes to the place was "sadly" "part of the agenda of the Government of India now".
The Indian Express quoted Singh's letter as saying, "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."
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.
The leaders of the Congress had expressed unhappiness over the decision.
Ashok Gehlot had said that while the idea of a museum for all past prime ministers was a good one, he did not trust PM Modi's intentions. He had said, "Modiji's intention behind it is not so much to preserve the legacy of former PMs but to erase the legacy of Nehruji. While doing so, BJP forgets that Nehruji holds a special place in the hearts of people. His memory is everlasting."
Meanwhile, Mallikarjun Kharge had said they were opposed to the government changing the bylaws of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. "We are opposed to it as this is the legacy of Jawaharlal Nehru and associated with the freedom movement. It cannot be destroyed."