Mahesh Rangarajan has stepped down as director of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) as he saw the BJP government questioning the nature of his appointment approved by the previous UPA government on its last legs.
Minister of State for Culture (Independent charge) Mahesh Sharma told journalists on Thursday that the Executive Council of the NMML under the chairmanship of Lokesh Chandra had accepted Dr. Rangarajan’s offer to quit on Wednesday.
“I was informed about the decision of the Council today [Thursday],” Mr. Sharma said.
As Mr. Sharma upped the ante against Dr. Rangarajan saying that he would seek legal opinion on the manner in which he had been appointed, the director had no option but to put in his papers.
Mr. Sharma also hinted at a detailed inquiry into Dr. Rangarajan’s appointment as routine government action, especially as the UPA order had made him an employee of the Government of India.
Denying personal differences with Dr. Rangarajan, who is a historian, teacher and author of several books, Mr. Sharma said his appointment for 10 years by the UPA government was not only irregular, and objectionable but was also ethically wrong. The model code following the announcement of the 2014 elections had kicked in, when plans to formalise his candidature were being put in place. The Election Commission asked the UPA government to defer the decision.
On Sept. 15, when Dr. Rangarajan first informed the Council he wanted to quit for personal reasons, it said it reposed faith in his administrative abilities and asked him to reconsider. When he insisted once again on Wednesday, the Council accepted his resignation, Mr. Sharma said.
Mr. Sharma, displaying the details of the appointment papers to journalists, said, “The proposal for the permanent absorption of Dr. Rangarajan was mooted on April 30, 2014 by the Joint Secretary of Culture for the approval of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. And on that very day a letter was addressed to the Election Commission seeking its NOC on the matter. The Commission had responded by asking the government to defer his appointment till the election process was over.”
Elections got over on May 12 following which the Appointments Committee approved the proposal for Dr. Rangarajan’s appointment on May 14 which, Mr. Sharma observed, was a gazetted holiday. “You should praise the UPA government for working overtime on a gazetted holiday,” he said.
With the formal approval, the then chairperson of the NMML, Karan Singh, by an office order on May 19, a day after the model code of conduct was lifted, appointed Dr. Rangarajan as NMML director on a permanent basis till his retirement at the age of 60.
While chairman Lokesh Chandra refused to respond, executive council member Nitin Desai, an appointee of the UPA and who was on the committee which recruited Dr. Rangarajan in 2011, said, “It is the executive council which has the primary responsibility of choosing the director. Rangarajan has done an excellent job as director.”
The Minister also promised a thorough enquiry into the workings of all memorials under his Ministry.
While Mr. Sharma hinted at an informer at whose behest his government had questioned Dr. Rangarajan’s appointment, a retired professor from Darbanga, S.P. Singh, said he had made representations to the Prime Minister, the Minister and the Chairman of NMML in the last few months and pointed out the ‘irregularities’ in this appointment and previous ones. Mr. Singh had also moved court to stall Dr. Rangarajan’s appointment.
