Grand museum for all former PMs in Delhi: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said his government will establish a grand museum dedicated to all former prime ministers, as he pitched for a “new political culture” to get rid of “political untouchability”.

Speaking at the launch of a book on former prime ministerChandra Shekhar written by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Modi, in anapparent attack on the Congress, said a section of political class tried toerase the memories of former prime ministers.

   

Referring to the padyatra carried out by Chandra Shekharacross the country, he said efforts were made to malign it by levellingallegations that it was funded by businessmen.

“A section of political class tried to erase thememories of all former prime ministers by giving them such titles that theyshould not be remembered,” Modi said.

He also said attempts were made to align the image of B RAmbedkar and Sardar Patel after independence.

Modi said if today’s generation is asked about Morarji Desaiand Lal Bahadur Shastri, they hardly know about them.

“They were intentionally erased from memory of people.But, I am sorry to say there is a political section which did so. But withblessings of all you I have decided to set up a grand museum of all formerprime ministers in the country,” he said.

Mentioning names of I K Gujral, Deve Gowda and ManmohanSingh, Modi said everyone of them contributed and this should be acknowledged.

Underlining that political untouchability is so”high” that “there is need for new political culture”, Modisaid, suggesting that this museum is an initiative in that direction.

He also urged the families of all former prime ministers toshare things and information related to them so that these can be used in themuseum.

Apparently referring to Mahatma Gandhi’s choice ofJawaharlal Nehru and not Sardar Patel as the country’s first prime minister, hesaid in a lighter vain that a Gujarati chose a non-Gujarati for the post.

After Emergency, a Bihari pitched for a Gujarati for thejob, Modi said, referring to Jai Prakash Narayan opting for Morarji Desai forthe prime minister’s chair following Janata Party’s win in the 1977 generalelection.

Speaking about the book, he said Harivansh has done acourageous job as it clarifies many things when Shekhar was alive and it isopposite to many beliefs about various incidents of that time.Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha SpeakerOm Birla and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad were amongothers present at the launch.

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