Centre asks Sonia Gandhi to return Nehru's papers, Congress objects

The Centre has asked Sonia Gandhi to return 51 cartons of Jawaharlal Nehru's papers, sparking a political row. The Congress has objected, while the Ministry of Culture clarified the papers are with Gandhi since 2008 and are national heritage.

Congress Hits Back at Centre

Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat on Thursday responded to reports that the Central Government has asked Congress leader Sonia Gandhi to return 51 cartons of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's papers. Bhagat said, "Since Prime Minister Modi came to power in 2014, everything he does and every policy he implements revolves around Nehru. The situation is that they do not walk with the truth, which is why such things happen. Our national heritage remains with the nation."

Ministry of Culture Clarifies Stance

The Ministry of Culture on Wednesday clarified that former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's private papers can't be termed as "missing" from the Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) as their "whereabouts are known", which is with former Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

The clarifications follow Congress's pushback against the Centre after Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat's written reply to BJP MP Sambit Patra's question about whether Nehru's letters are missing from PMML.

Ministry of Culture, in a post on X, clarified that the papers can't be termed as "missing" as their whereabouts are known and sought for their return, saying that they are "part of the nation's documentary heritage" "Vide letter dated April 29, 2008, M V Rajan, representative of Smt. Sonia Gandhi requested that Smt. Gandhi wishes to take back all of the private family letters and notes of former PM Jawahar Lal Nehru. Accordingly, 51 cartons of Nehru Papers were sent to Smt. Sonia Gandhi in 2008. PMML has been in continuous correspondence with the office of Smt Sonia Gandhi since then for the return of these papers, including the letters from PMML to Smt Sonia Gandhi dated January 28, 2025 and July 3, 2025," the Ministry of Culture said.

Therefore, the Nehru Papers are not "missing" from PMML as their whereabouts are known. These documents, relating to the first Prime Minister of India, form part of the nation's documentary heritage and not private property. Their custody with PMML and access to citizens and scholars for research is vital," the Ministry added. (ANI)

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