Nehru’s letters are not personal property, central government requested to return them to Sonia Gandhi

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Government criticizes Sonia Gandhi, demands return of Nehru documents

New Delhi. The government has harshly criticized Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for retaining 51 boxes of documents related to Jawaharlal Nehru. The administration has called for the return of these documents to the Prime Minister’s Museum and Library (PMML). The government has clarified that Sonia Gandhi had taken these documents in 2008 and they are not her personal property. The return of these documents will provide scholars and members of Parliament access to important historical records of the Nehru era. The government says these documents ‘should exist in public archives, and not in a closed room.’ Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat shared information on social media that since the location of these papers is known, they are not missing.

What did the minister say in Parliament

Citing the written answer given by Culture Minister Shekhawat in the Lok Sabha, Congress has raised the question that if no document related to Pandit Nehru has gone missing from PMML, will the government now apologize in this matter? BJP leader Sambit Patra had asked in the Lok Sabha whether documents related to Nehru were found missing during the annual inspection of PMML in 2025. In response, Minister Shekhawat clarified that no documents were found missing during this inspection.

Controversial issue of Nehru documents

The issue of Nehru documents has become a bone of contention between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress. A section within the PMML has raised the demand for withdrawal of these documents, which Sonia Gandhi had taken many years ago. Minister Shekhawat said on social media that the documents are not missing from PMML. Missing means that their location is unknown, whereas the location of these documents is clear. He said that in 2008, these papers were handed over to the Gandhi family under due process.

Public need for historical documents

The Union Minister said that scholars, researchers, students and citizens have the right to access the original documents, so that a balanced approach can be developed to understand the life and times of Nehru. He said that on one hand we are being prevented from discussing the mistakes, on the other hand the relevant documents are being kept out of public reach. He said that this case is not ordinary; History cannot be written on the basis of selected facts only. Transparency is the foundation of democracy, and making documents available is a moral obligation, which Sonia Gandhi and her family must also fulfill.

Why were the documents not returned?

The Minister asked why these documents have not been returned till now, although letters have been sent by PMML several times, especially in January and July 2025. He also asked Sonia Gandhi whether anything was being hidden. The arguments given for not returning the documents are inconsistent and unacceptable. He raised the question why such important historical documents were outside the public archives. These documents are not part of any private family collection, but are important national records relating to the first Prime Minister of India, which should be held in public archives.