Prime Ministers Museum and Library may file theft case against Sonia Gandhi for withholding Nehru’s papers: Read why
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi may find herself in a legal storm as the Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) Society is considering legal action to retrieve private papers of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru that were taken away in 2008. The discussions at the 47th Annual General Meeting of the PMML Society were held on 23rd June, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Reports suggest that there was a consensus among the members that the issue must now be pursued through legal channels.
Sources within the PMML Trust have confirmed to OpIndia that a case of theft is indeed being considered. The documents in question were donated and are legally the property of the institution. The alleged removal of the papers by Sonia Gandhi took place during the UPA era and is now under sharp scrutiny.
Letters packed in 51 cartons taken away in 2008 during UPA rule
The controversy revolves around a large cache of documents from Nehru’s private collection. It includes letters exchanged with historical figures including Edwina Mountbatten, Albert Einstein, Jayaprakash Narayan, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Babu Jagjivan Ram and Aruna Asaf Ali. These papers were housed at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML), which is now known as PMML, between 1971 and 2008.
In 2008, the papers were reportedly packed in 51 boxes and taken by Sonia Gandhi. These included material that was originally donated to NMML by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and later by Sonia Gandhi herself, who acted as the family heir.
PMML sent several official letters and appeals this year to Sonia Gandhi’s office, including those from Gujarat-based historian and PMML Society member Professor Rizwan Kadri. However, the Congress leader did not respond. Kadri had written twice, first to Sonia Gandhi in September 2024, and then to Rahul Gandhi in December, urging the Gandhi family to return the original papers or at least provide photocopies and digital scans of the same. However, neither Sonia Gandhi nor Rahul Gandhi responded to the requests.
PM Modi chairs crucial AGM; ministers and society members back retrieval
The 47th AGM was held at Teen Murti Bhavan. It was attended by senior Union Ministers including Rajnath Singh, who serves as Vice-President of the PMML Society, Nirmala Sitharaman, Dharmendra Pradhan and Ashwini Vaishnaw. Other notable members included BJP leader Smriti Irani, lyricist Prasoon Joshi, and former Railway Board chairman Ashwani Lohani, who now serves as PMML’s Director.
Reports suggest that the meeting revisited the issue discussed earlier in the February 2024 AGM, that of Sonia Gandhi having “reclaimed” a significant portion of papers donated by the Nehru-Gandhi family. The board reached a consensus that these papers are a national treasure and must be preserved by the institution.
Following legal advice received after the previous AGM, a formal communication had been sent earlier this year to Sonia Gandhi’s office. For the first time, it was officially put on record that the papers had been taken away and a request was made for their return. However, no reply came from Gandhi’s office. Members of the PMML Society now seek to “course correct” what they described as an “administrative lapse” from the pre-2014 era.
Trust asserts that donated papers cannot be reclaimed
The Trust is considering its legal position on the principle that once a donation is made, ownership cannot be reversed. Hence, the papers remain the rightful property of the museum. Discussions have also been held on related concerns of ownership, custodianship, copyright, and the scholarly use of these collections.
According to the PMML Society, it is essential to ensure that letters such as those between Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten are accounted for. There are demands among members for a forensic audit of the material that was taken to assess if any vital documents are missing.
New-look council backs action, PM suggests museum mapping and Emergency archive
The PMML executive council was reconstituted in January 2025. Notable new members including Smriti Irani, former NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar, retired Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, and artist Vasudev Kamath were added to the council. Nripendra Mishra was given another five-year term as chairperson.
In the Monday meeting, apart from the Nehru papers issue, PM Modi proposed creating a “museum map” of India and a comprehensive national database of museums across the country. He also suggested compiling all legal cases and documentation related to the Emergency period to mark its 50th anniversary.
BJP dubs letters ‘historical documents’, Parliament had taken note too
In December 2024, BJP MP Sambit Patra reacted to the matter of papers linked to Nehru and stated that these are not just family correspondences. He asserted that those documents are valuable in national interest. He insisted that the public had a right to know what they contain. The issue was also raised in Parliament last year, signalling its potential to escalate further if legal proceedings are initiated against Sonia Gandhi.
If the PMML Trust goes ahead with formal legal steps, it could trigger a high-profile legal and political battle between the PM Modi-led NDA government and the Congress party.
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