Manmohan Singh at the INA Memorial at Salimgarh in the Red Fort complex. (PTI)

New Delhi, July 10: Just days after the Red Fort got into Unesco’s World Heritage List, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh came visiting — and he didn’t like what he saw.

Singh visited the Indian National Army memorial at Salimgarh fort, part of the sprawling Red Fort complex. He came this morning, at short notice to ensure that officials didn’t get too much time to spruce things up.

The decision to visit was taken only the previous evening. Singh wanted to see the memorial for himself after a media report said it was in bad shape.

Singh expressed concern at the “poor upkeep” of the museum, the Prime Minister’s Office said. It said the “concerned ministry” would be asked to act.

That would be the culture ministry headed by Ambika Soni. This is the second time in recent days that the ministry has been approached by the PMO.

Recently, the PMO stepped in after learning about the proposed auction in London of the draft of an article, hand-written by Mahatma Gandhi for his paper Harijan.

INA leaders Shah Nawaz Khan, P.K. Sehgal and G.S. Dhillon were imprisoned in the barracks built by the British in Salimgarh fort. Their photographs, as well as other material associated with the Independence movement, are now on display.

Till 1992, the barracks were in possession of the army. Then the Archaeological Survey of India took charge of them. They now serve as a memorial to the detained INA heroes.

“The Prime Minister walked around the campus and visited the rooms in which the detainees were kept, the museum where photographs and uniforms are on display,” a media statement said.

“The Prime Minister expressed his concern at the poor upkeep of the museum and premises.”

He was told that the departments concerned were “seized of the matter and appropriate action will be taken”.

“The Prime Minister expressed hope that such places of historical importance are brought alive with a mix of display of historical material and other lively activity of interest to the general public,” the PMO said.