Man who tipped culture min says cleaning needed
I am not an anonymous person, says SP Singh who has filed over 300 RTIs
The anonymous man who had tipped the government on the ‘illegal’ appointment of Nehru Memorial Museums & Library (NMML) director on Saturday said more cleaning of corruption was needed in the museum.
“I have opened the lid on the secrecy behind the appointment of the director. More irregularities will flow out,” 70-year-old Prof SP Singh, who has since 2005 filed more than 300 RTIs on different issues related to the museum, told HT.
Culture minister Mahesh Sharma had acknowledged that the matter on the appointment of Rangarajan had been brought to his notice via an anonymous person’s letter.
“I am not an anonymous person. I have an identity,” Singh said. He said that the removal of Rangarajan was not the end of the story. “All the appointments that have been made and all the fellowships that have been granted should be cancelled since his appointment was illegal. There is a need to stress more on Nehruvian studies while grant- ing fellowships.”
Singh has been consistently writing to the Prime Ministers, culture ministers and chairmen of the museum on the irregularities and the rules that were flouted.
He has almost completed a manuscript – Scams and Scandals in NMML.
“In the several years I have been raising basic issues of governance at the NMML such as award of fellowships, illegal appointment of director and several other officials,” he said.
Singh had made scores of representations and rejoinders on the working of the museum. “I have solicited the attention of 4 culture ministers, 4 culture secretaries, then PM Manmohan Singh and the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi but none of them replied,” he said
Singh said there was a need to amend the memorandum of association and the service by laws of the museum. “The legacy of Nehru should be preserved but at the same time focus should also be on contemporary studies.”