Centre removes opposers of ‘PM museum’
TV anchor Goswami and ex-diplomat Jaishankar among new members
The Narendra Modi-led government has removed three members from the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) society and appointed four new members.
Many Indian Twitter users criticised the central government on this move, which happened just weeks after the foundation stone for the ‘Museum for all Prime Ministers’ was laid in the capital, New Delhi.
Journalist @vasudha_ET shared a picture of “the order from the culture ministry approving the changes”, in a tweet.
Economist Nitin Desai, professor Udayan Mishra and former bureaucrat BP Singh were replaced by four new members — TV news anchor Arnab Goswami, Rajya Sabha member Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, former journalist Ram Bahadur Rai and former diplomat S Jaishankar.
The three who were removed had questioned the idea of the museum and were known to have been critical of the government’s approach to NMML.
Some said it was “classic” of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for not tolerating dissenters. Editor and journalist Pragya Tiwari tweeted: “‘Dissenters’ removed from the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library and replaced by ‘non-dissenters’.”
Many also questioned the appointment of the controversial Goswami. @srinivasiyc said: “Journalists who question the govt are sacked ... journalists who abuse India’s heritage are rewarded ...”
Another tweep @GururajPHosur wrote: “Congratulations Arnab Goswami, aren’t you proud of having a role in rewriting the history of India.”