Fresh controversy has erupted over the appointment of the director at Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML), after a prominent member of its Executive Council – Pratap Bhanu Mehta – allegedly quit over the shortlisting of Shakti Sinha who had served as private secretary to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
A renowned political scientist, Mehta had raised objections on the selection of former bureaucrat Sinha, who was selected based on the “majority opinion” of the selection panel headed by Union Minister MJ Akbar and constituted by the NMML Executive Council, according to a source.
In his resignation letter, Mehta reportedly took issue with the Sinha’s lack of scholarly track record, suggesting that he would not provide the “exemplary intellectual leadership” he believed the NMML needed, reports The Times of India. He also charged the selection committee with ‘marginalising academic considerations’.
“I have no comments. My resignation letter and a note of dissent is with the authorities,” Mehta said, when contacted about the disagreements over the appointment of NMML director; a post which had been vacant since the previous UPA-appointed director stepped down last year.
An IAS officer of 1979 batch from AGMUT cadre, Sinha was considered a highly influential joint secretary of Vajpayee’s PMO in the late 90s. He had also served as private secretary to Vajpayee.
(With inputs from PTI, Times of India)
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