NEW DELHI: The Union Government on Wednesday clarified that 51 cartons of Nehru papers had been sent to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi in 2008, and were therefore not 'untraceable'.
The ministry in an X post, said, "In May 2008, the papers were sent to former Congress president Gandhi following a request from her representative MV Rajan, as she had wished to take back private family letters and notes of the former PM."
“Nehru Papers are not 'missing' from PMML. 'Missing' entails that the whereabouts are unknown. In reality, 51 cartons of Jawaharlal Nehru papers were formally taken back by the family in 2008 from the Prime Minister's Museum and Library (then NMML). Their location is known. Hence, they are not 'missing', Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat wrote on X.
The clarification came in the wake of the Congress demanding an apology from the BJP-led government after the ministry’s reply in Lok Sabha that the Nehru papers were not missing from PMML.
The minister, hitting back at Gandhi, further questioned why the papers have not been returned despite multiple reminders from PMML, including the recent reminders in January and July 2025.
“The nation deserves clarity… I respectfully ask Sonia Gandhi ji to explain to the country: What is being withheld? What is being hidden? The excuses given by Smt Sonia Gandhi for not returning these papers are not tenable. The point is that why are important historical documents still outside the public archive?” Shekhawat’s detailed response on X read.
The minister said that the documents are not “private family papers”; they form part of our national historical record, and scholars, researchers, students, and citizens have a right to access original documentary sources to arrive at a truthful and balanced understanding of Nehru’s life and times.
“On one hand, we are being asked not to debate the blunders of that era. On the other hand, primary source material that could enable informed debate is kept out of public access. This contradiction cannot be ignored. This is no ordinary matter. History cannot be curated selectively. Transparency is the foundation of democracy and archival openness is its moral obligation, which Mrs Gandhi and the “family” need to uphold, the post also stated.
A political row erupted in September after a member of the PMML Society, Rizwan Kadri, said that he had written to Congress MP Gandhi to allow physical or digital access to private papers related to Nehru that are in her possession.
Kadri claimed that the historical records related to Nehru, including his letters to Lady Mountbatten, were withdrawn following the instructions of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi in 2008.
Sources said that after Kadri flagged the issue, it was decided that PMML would pursue the matter. The executive council of the society had formally requested Gandhi to return the papers.
“Following the letter from the executive council, Gandhi stated that her staff would look into it. However, she has not made any commitment,” said sources.
Replying to a question by BJP MP Sambit Patra, Shekhawat said in a written response, “No documents related to India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, have been found missing from the museum during the annual inspection of the PMML in the year 2025.”
Sharing the response on X, Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, sought to know if the party can expect an apology on the issue. “The truth was finally revealed in the Lok Sabha yesterday. Will there be an apology forthcoming?”
On Wednesday, Shekhawat responded to Ramesh’s post and said that Gandhi had acknowledged in writing that these papers are with her and promised to “co-operate” on the matter.
“In fact, it would be more appropriate for you to urge Sonia Gandhi to honour her commitment and return these papers to PMML so that scholars, citizens, and the Parliament can access these crucial historical records and the truth of 'Nehruvian' times can be examined objectively," the minister posted.
