# BJP slams Congress over Sonia Gandhi allegedly taking Nehru’s letters from PMML in 2008
New Delhi: The Prime Minister’s Museum and Library (PMML) has formally requested Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to return a collection of historical letters written by India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, which were removed from public access by the UPA government in 2008.
The letters, addressed to prominent 20th-century figures such as Albert Einstein, Lord Mountbatten, Padmaja Naidu, and Babu Jagjivan Ram, were taken out of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) upon the request of Sonia Gandhi, then UPA chairperson.
The PMML, which succeeded the NMML and was renamed last year, acknowledged the personal significance these letters may hold for the Nehru family but emphasized their importance for scholars and researchers.
In a letter to Rahul Gandhi, the PMML stated, “We believe that making these historical materials more widely accessible would greatly benefit scholars and researchers. We would be grateful for your collaboration in exploring possible solutions.”
The collection comprises 51 boxes of Nehru’s letters, which were removed from the public eye in 2008 under the instructions of Sonia Gandhi. Among these letters are those written by Nehru to Lady Edwina Mountbatten, wife of Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India. Their complex and often speculated relationship has been the subject of much historical interest. Nehru’s letters to Edwina, spanning from 1948 to her death in 1961, reveal personal reflections and confidential discussions about state affairs.
The BJP has since criticized the Congress over the issue, with spokesperson Sambit Patra accusing Sonia Gandhi of hastily removing these letters. He pointed out that, despite a 2010 decision to digitize all documents, the letters were taken without explanation. “Why were 51 cartons of letters taken away in haste when there was already a plan for digitization?” Patra questioned.
In response, Congress has dismissed the BJP’s claims as a political diversion. Party MP Imran Masood suggested that the ruling party was attempting to shift focus from ongoing bribery charges involving a prominent business group.
The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, established at Nehru’s former residence in New Delhi, was renamed the PMML in August 2023. It remains a key institution for preserving the legacy of India’s first Prime Minister.
