This is an archive article published on December 16, 2024

‘Can take action’: Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat tells LS on demand for Gandhi family to return Nehru’s letters

As first reported by The Indian Express, Ahmedabad-based historian Rizwan Kadri, a member of PMML, wrote to Rahul Gandhi seeking return of Nehru's letters allegedly taken by Sonia Gandhi in 2008; BJP MP Sambit Patra raised the issue in Lok Sabha on Monday.

India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. (Express archive)

3 min readNew DelhiDec 17, 2024 03:26 AM IST First published on: Dec 16, 2024 at 03:40 PM IST

Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat told the Lok Sabha on Monday that “action can be taken” on the demand that certain letters of former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru that were taken in 2008 by Sonia Gandhi should be returned to the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML).

Speaking during Question Hour in the Lower House, BJP MP Sambit Patra said the issue had been raised during the annual general body meeting of the Prime Minister’s Museum and Library, which is the successor to the NMML, earlier this year. He said some correspondence between Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten, Babu Jagjivan Ram and Jayaprakash Narayan were removed from the museum by M V Rajan in 2008 and sent to Gandhi, who was chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance, in 51 cartons.

The MP raised the issue hours after The Indian Express reported that Ahmedabad-based historian Rizwan Kadri has written to Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi asking for his help in returning the papers taken by a representative of his mother.

Patra said the records were important to understand the history of India and appealed to the culture ministry to investigate the matter and bring back the records to the museum.

In response, Shekhawat said he had noted the suggestion and that action can be taken.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters later, Patra termed the letters as “historical heritage” and not the property of any family.

“What was there in the letters that the first family felt should not be made public,” Patra asked.

Patra said there were two issues—one, “the sense of entitlement of the first family”, and second, what was the content of the correspondence. He reiterated his demand that the matter should be investigated and that letters be returned to the museum.

Priyanka raises attacks on minorities in Bangladesh

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra raised in the Lok Sabha the issue of recent attacks on Hindus and Christians in Bangladesh and asked the Government to extend support to the victims.

Speaking during Zero Hour, the Wayanad MP said, “This Government should raise its voice against the injustice being meted out to the minorities, the Hindus and Christians, in Bangladesh. There should be talks with the Bangladesh Government and should give total support to those in pain.”

Vadra also raised the issue of a painting depicting the Pakistani army surrendering to the Indian Army in Dhaka in 1971 being removed from the Ministry of Defence at South Block. The iconic painting had been the backdrop of many official meetings of the Army chief and visiting dignitaries.

Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat later informed the House that the painting had been shifted to a “befitting place” at the Manekshaw Centre on Monday, which marks Vijay Divas, the day the instrument of surrender was signed in Dhaka on December 16, 1971.

The attacks on minorities in Bangladesh was an issue raised by MPs from both sides of the aisle. While Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske raised the matter, the TMC’s Sudip Bandyopadhyay demanded the Government make a statement about it.