RSS behind Nehru Museum Director's removal, says Congress

New Delhi, Sept 17: Congress today said the resignation of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Director Mahesh Rangarajan was the result of "unbearable pressure" mounted by the government and alleged that RSS was behind his "removal".

"It is a continuation of the politics of vendetta. Less than 24 hours ago, the entire eminent council of NMML congratulated Rangarajan for the excellent work and opposed his removal. "But India's biggest remote control from Nagpur declared otherwise.

That pressure was unbearable from the government and you have seen the result in less than 24 hours," party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters.

His comments came after the government accepted Rangarajan's resignation. Rangarajan's resignation came in the wake of Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma terming his appointment during the UPA rule for a further 10-year period as "illegal".

At a meeting of the Executive Council two days ago, Rangarajan had offered to resign citing personal reasons after which most of the members in the eight-member Council, chaired by ICCR President Lokesh Chandra, asked him to reconsider his move.

Sharma had raked up the appointment of Rangarajan by the outgoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh just two days before the Lok Sabha election results were declared last year.

He had questioned the "haste" in the appointment. The Union Minister, however, vehemently denied his ministry putting any pressure verbally or in writing on Rangarjan to resign but stuck to his stand that norms were "thrown to the winds" by the UPA government in permanent absorption of Rangarajan for the post.

PTI