PM Memorial Requests Return of Nehru’s Letters from Sonia

The Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library (PMML) has formally requested Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to return personal letters written by Jawaharlal Nehru, which were reportedly taken by Sonia Gandhi during the UPA regime.

In a letter dated December 10, PMML member Rizwan Kadri appealed to Rahul Gandhi to either retrieve the original letters from Sonia Gandhi or provide photocopies or digital versions. This request follows a similar one made to Sonia Gandhi in September.

The letters, considered historically significant, were originally entrusted to the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library in 1971. However, in 2008, they were packed into 51 boxes and sent to Sonia Gandhi. The collection includes correspondence from Nehru to key figures like Edwina Mountbatten, Albert Einstein, Jayaprakash Narayan, and others.

Kadri’s letter emphasized that Nehru’s private papers were entrusted to PMML by his daughter, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, for safekeeping, not as a gift. He also referenced a 2008 meeting where it was mentioned that 51 cartons of these papers were taken by Sonia Gandhi.

The PMML has expressed that the letters would provide valuable insights into India’s history and should be returned for the benefit of scholars and researchers.

The BJP quickly seized on the issue, with BJP IT cell in-charge Amit Malviya questioning why the Nehru family was holding onto these letters and whether Rahul Gandhi would take action to retrieve them.