'This is barbarism': Congress slams Centre's move to vacate National Museum

Congress slammed the central government after a PTI report claimed that Delhi's National Museum will likely be vacated by the end of 2023 as part of the Central Vista redevelopment project.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said the move is simply barbarism.

"A historic building of immense architectural importance is to be demolished and replaced by a cookie-cutter government building! And in the meantime there will be no National Museum for two years at least. This is barbarism, pure and simple," said Tharoor on X.

The party's general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the nation would lose not just a majestic structure but also a piece of its recent history which is the target of a systematic erasure campaign of the Prime Minister.

"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," Ramesh said.

"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," he added.

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