Narendra Modi: Bid to ‘erase memories’ of ex-PMs, will build museum

Modi was speaking at Balayogi Auditorium of Parliament House after releasing “Chandra Shekhar —- The Last Icon of Ideological Politics,” a book on the former Prime Minister written jointly by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh and Ravi Dutt Bajpai.

Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu was chief guest at the function. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Leader of Opposition in the Upper House, Ghulam Nabi Azad, were among those present on the occasion.

Modi said there have been efforts to create adverse impressions of some great Indian leaders, including Dr B R Ambedkar and Sardar Patel. “Had Shastri-ji (Lal Bahadur Shastri) been alive, one does not know what would have happened to his image,” he said.

Modi maintained that the same “coterie” destroyed the image of Morarji Desai, creating labels and narratives about the former Prime Minister.

Apparently referring to Desai, who drank his own urine, the Prime Minister said it was publicised what a former Prime Minister drank, or who went to sleep (reference to H D Deve Gowda), or who “back-stabbed”. “But I have also taken a vow – to set up a grand museum of all Prime Ministers. I invite their families to share all aspects of their lives (with the proposed museum) — be it Charan Singh-ji, Deve Gowda-ji, I K Gujral-ji or Dr Manmohan Singh-ji.”

Apparently referring to Mahatma Gandhi’s choice of Jawaharlal Nehru, and not Sardar Patel, as the country’s first Prime Minister, he said in a lighter vain that a Gujarati chose a non-Gujarati for the post, while a Bihari (Jaiprakash Narayan) pitched in for a Gujarati (Desai) for the post of PM later.

On Chandra Shekhar, Modi said, “It has been 12 years since he passed away, but his thoughts continue to guide us.” He said it is unfortunate that the country failed give the socialist leader the respect he deserved at the time. “Chandra Shekhar was a man of culture and principles. The Congress party was at its peak (then), yet he challenged the might of that party because he opposed certain aspects of that party,” he said.

Modi also said the country needs a new political culture – “chhooachhoot se parey (beyond political untouchability)”. Mentioning names of Gujral, Deve Gowda and Manmohan Singh, Modi said each one of them had contributed to the country’s progress, and this should be acknowledged.