The Aryavarth Express
New Delhi:
The Ministry of Culture on Wednesday clarified that the private papers of India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, are not “missing” from the Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML), as their whereabouts are known and they are currently with former Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
The clarification came amid a political row after Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, in a written reply to a question by BJP MP Sambit Patra, stated that no documents related to Jawaharlal Nehru were missing from PMML. The reply prompted sharp reactions from the Congress, which accused the Centre of making allegations against Sonia Gandhi and demanded an apology.
In a post on X, the Ministry of Culture explained that the papers cannot be described as missing since they were formally taken back by Sonia Gandhi in 2008.
“Vide letter dated April 29, 2008, M.V. Rajan, representative of Smt. Sonia Gandhi, requested that she wishes to take back all the private family letters and notes of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Accordingly, 51 cartons of Nehru Papers were sent to Smt. Sonia Gandhi in 2008,” the ministry said.
It added that PMML has been in continuous correspondence with Sonia Gandhi’s office for the return of these papers, including letters dated January 28, 2025, and July 3, 2025.
The ministry stressed that while the papers are not missing, they are an important part of India’s documentary heritage. “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 for citizens and scholars is vital,” it said.
Earlier, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh demanded an apology from the government, stating that the truth had been revealed in Parliament. “The truth was finally revealed in the Lok Sabha yesterday. Will there be an apology forthcoming?” he asked.
