NEW DELHI: Criticising the Centre over the National Museum being vacated under the Central Vista redevelopment project, the Congress on Friday alleged that yet another majestic structure will be lost as part of the "systematic erasure campaign" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh shared pictures of the National Museum building and said there was no guarantee that this national treasure would survive the supposed relocation.
"Yet another majestic building that combines finely the modern with the traditional is to vanish by the end of this year. The National Museum designed by G B Deolalikar and inaugurated in December 1960 is being demolished. Incidentally, he also designed the main block of the Supreme Court which hopefully will survive," he said in a post on X.
"The nation loses not just a majestic structure but also loses a piece of its recent history which is the target of a systematic erasure campaign of the Prime Minister. It has over 2,00,000 priceless exhibits and there is no guarantee that this national treasure will survive the supposed relocation," Ramesh said.
The Congress leader said the National Museum also has a wonderful history as its first director was Grace Morley, an American museologist who came to India for the first time in 1960 in that position.
"She remained Director till 1966 but later continued to stay in Delhi where she was cremated in 1985. She earned the respect of one and all and was referred to as Mataji Morley," he said in his post.
The National Museum in Delhi, home to a collection of rich ancient artefacts, is likely to be vacated by the end of this year as part of the Central Vista redevelopment project, sources said on Thursday.
It is not clear whether the over-60-year-old building, one of the most iconic modern landmarks of the capital city, will be retained or razed after its objects and collections are shifted.
"As part of the Central Vista redevelopment project, the plan is to vacate the National Museum by the end of this year. Instructions have been given to search for a space where the collections could be safely and properly shifted," a source said.
The collections will eventually be housed in the proposed Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum which would be located in the North Block and South Block of the Raisina Hill complex.
On August 15, 1949, the National Museum was inaugurated in the Rashtrapati Bhavan by C Rajagopalachari, the then Governor-General of India, before finding a home at Janpath.