Military memorial, my foot!

Military memorial, my foot!
By: B V Shiva Shankar Date: 2010-06-10 Place: Bangalore




MP Rajeev Chandrashekar reportedly wants to build memorial at the Musical Fountain Park in order to settle scores with his estranged father-in-law who lives nearby.

MP Rajeev Chandrashekar reportedly wants to build the Military Memorial at the Musical Fountain Park, near Rajbahavan, because it would stand very close to his estranged father-in-law TPG Nambiar's residence, revealed sources closer to warring family.

In 2004, Nambiar had slapped a case of fraud against Chandrashekhar, who, sources said has promised his father-in-law that he would operate from an office in front of his house.


The residence of TPG Nambiar, the estranged father-in-law of Rajeev Chandrashekar


The National Military Memorial project will incidentally be situated opposite the Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain Park if the project is completed.

"Chandrashekhar has been nursing the dream since 2004 when he had a falling apart with Nambiar," said the source.

"Thanks to his meticulous planning and persuasion, Rajeev Chandrashekar has now come closer to the realisation of his dreams as the way has been cleared for the project."

Dr Sudhir Pai, secretary, Krishna Apartments Owners Welfare Association, who is waging a legal battle to save the park, said there is more to Chnadrashekhar's enthusiasm than meets the eye. "I am certain there is motive behind the project," he said.

"I can't understand why he is so adamant about the location of the memorial."

Civilians opposing the project are apprehensive that Rajeev Chandrashekar would operate from the office that is to come up at the memorial.

"As the vice-chairman of the National Military Memorial trust he will have an office chamber to himself in the premises and that is what he wants," said a source close to the family.

Rajeev Chandrashekar's spokespersons refuted the charges.

In an e-mail response, Suresh, spokesperson for the chairman, National Military Memorial Park, said, "The Park consists of a memorial and an underground display that highlights lives of martyrs. There are no offices.

This is a deliberate lie used by some in the group that filed the PIL to denigrate the idea of a memorial and prejudice the court and media."

However, Rajeev Chandrashekar had said, when he took part in the foundation stone laying function for the memorial, in Feb 2009, "The memorial will have a motivational hall and a museum, while a sub-way will connect the memorial with the nearby planetarium.

The motivational hall can't be managed without an office chamber for administrators or trustees," reasoned Dr Sudhir Pai.

Suresh refused to comment on the proximity of the memorial to the Nambiar home. "We will not respond to questions unrelated to the National Military Memorial Park."

TPG Nambiar remained unavailable for comment as he is in London. His son Ajith Nambiar declined to comment.