‘Suffering from Modiabind’: BJP hits back at Congress over renaming of Nehru Memorial Museum

The BJP has hit back at the Congress's criticism of the renaming of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library as the Prime Ministers' Museum and Library Society. The party has accused the Congress that it "doesn't even hesitate to insult its own leaders", alluding to former prime ministers of the country. 

The BJP also took a swipe at the Congress, claiming it was blinded by its disdain for PM Modi and suffered from 'Modiabind', a play on the Hindi term for cataract, 'Motiyabind'.

The sharp reaction from BJP comes after Congress hit out at the government over renaming of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society here as Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library Society, calling it a “petty act” and asserting that legacies don’t get erased by renaming buildings.

The Congress had called the renaming a "cheap political stunt" and said that it was an attempt to "erase history". The party had also accused the BJP of being "obsessed" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Reacting to the development, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said this shows the “low mentality and dictatorial attitude” of the BJP-RSS as they can never reduce the huge contribution of Nehru, whom he described as the architect of modern India.

“Those who do not have any history, they have gone to erase the history of others.The ill-fated attempt to change the name of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library cannot belittle the personality of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the architect of modern India and fearless guardian of democracy,” Kharge said in a tweet in Hindi.

In response to that, BJP said that the renaming is a "matter of national pride" and that it is a way to "honour all the prime ministers of India". The party has also said that the Congress is "only interested in playing politics".

The party also claimed that the Congress was making accusations despite the fact that its leaders had yet to visit the museum to see how the contributions and achievements of the country's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and his successors - including Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, PV Narasimha Rao, Rajiv Gandhi, and Manmohan Singh - have been highlighted through the use of technology.

“I am deliberately taking the names of their own prime ministers. I can understand if they have some bitterness towards Narasimha Rao. But, I want to know what their problem is with the achievements of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Manmohan Singh, whose terms as prime minister have been showcased in an organised manner," BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi said.

“In their opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they do not hesitate to even insult their own leaders. They are not able to differentiate between their own leaders and others due to 'Modiabind' of Modi's opposition in their eyes," he said.
Trivedi also recalled how the Modi government celebrated Jawaharlal Nehru’s 125th birth anniversary in 2014 after coming to power in the Centre.

“I am surprised and a bit perturbed also (by the Congress' reaction to the matter),” he said, asking, “How many Congress leaders have gone to see the Nehru Memorial?”

He also added that the memorial of India's first prime minister at Teen Murti Bhavan was in a bad shape.

“It was gathering dust... The portion of Nehru ji's memorial has been reorganised in a much better way and it shows his contributions and achievements with the use of advanced technology,” Trivedi added.

The renaming of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library has been a controversial issue. Some people have welcomed the move, while others have criticized it. 

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