PM Memorial Library Demands Sonia Gandhi Return Letters Related To Jawaharlal Nehru; BJP MP Seeks Cultural Ministry's Intervention

Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) has written to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi seeking the return of crucial documents related to the first Indian PM Jawahar Lal Nehru.

This was the first time when it was placed on record that then UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, had taken away a major part of "donated" papers from the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library in 2008.

"PMML further informed that as per record, in March 2008 M V Rajan visited the PMML to segregate Private Papers and papers related to government from the Jawaharlal Nehru (SG) Papers," the letter said.

The letter was written by Ahmedabad-based historian Rizwan Kadri seeking the return of papers including Nehru’s correspondence with Edwina Mountbatten, Albert Einstein, Aruna Asaf Ali and Jayaprakash Narayan.

In their Annual General Meeting (AGM) in February, the PMML Society deliberated on the status of documents held by Sonia Gandhi. It was then determined that they would seek a legal opinion.

The issue was also raised by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of Parliament (MP) Sambit Patra in Lok Sabha after Indian Express's report and he sought the Cultural Ministry's intervention in the matter.

The letters also include Nehru's correspondence to personalities, such as Padmaja Naidu, Vijaya Laxmi Pandit, Babu Jagjivan Ram and Govind Ballabh Pant.

Kadri has sought Rahul Gandhi's intervention as Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and said, "I urge you to take cognisance of this issue and advocate for the preservation of India’s historical heritage."

Kadri is one of the 29 members of the PMML Society chaired by PM Narendra Modi. He had earlier written to Sonia Gandhi asserting that it is "crucial that these records remain accessible to ensure comprehensive understanding of our nation’s history."