Congress , BJP clash over Nehru's letters amid PMML controversy

New Delhi, Dec 16 (IANS) The debate over late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s historical letters has reignited political tensions, with leaders from the Congress and BJP trading barbs. The controversy emerged after the Prime Minister's Museum and Library (PMML) urged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to return letters removed in 2008 at Sonia Gandhi’s behest.

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit weighed in on the controversy, criticising the BJP’s stance. He questioned whether those raising the issue had even read the late PM's works, which are already published and publicly available.

Dikshit remarked, “All of Pandit Nehru’s writings and letters that matter are out in the public domain. Have they ever bothered to read or learn from them? This is nothing but an attempt to politicise history.”

Congress MP Tanuj Punia dismissed the BJP's claims, stating, “The public letters of Nehru ji are already accessible in the public domain and quoted widely, even in Parliament. There’s no secrecy around them.”

Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla criticised the timing, remarking, “Why raise an issue from 2008 in 2024? It’s irrelevant and illogical.”

BJP leader Sambit Patra countered with allegations of concealment, asserting that the Congress seeks to hide sensitive exchanges, including correspondence between Pandit Nehru, Albert Einstein, Jayaprakash Narayan and Edwina Mountbatten.

"The Gandhi family's restlessness raises questions. The nation wants to know what they’re trying to hide," he claimed.

"What did Nehru say to Mountbatten? What conversations took place between Nehru and Jayaprakash Narayan? A historian, Mr Kadri, had to write a letter to Rahul Gandhi, urging him to ask his mother and then UPA Chairperson to return all the letters," he added.

Amit Malviya, head of the BJP’s IT department, also took to social media, alleging that 51 cartons of Pandit Nehru’s letters were removed from the Nehru Museum and Library, now renamed the Prime Minister’s Museum and Library.

The BJP has accused the Congress of censorship, focussing on personal letters exchanged between the late PM and global figures.

The Congress maintains that most documents are public, and only private family correspondence was withheld.