On Gandhi’s 78th death anniversary, Congress shares Nehru, Patel letters to Syama Prasad Mookerjee questioning RSS, Hindu Mahasabha activities

Two days before Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated, Jawaharlal Nehru had written to Syama Prasad Mookerjee.

A few months later, on July 18 1948, Sardar Patel had also written to Syama Prasad Mookerjee.

Both are damning indictments of the self-declared custodians of nationalism.… pic.twitter.com/xnw0TBaVhC

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) January 30, 2026

Nehru’s letter

The letter begins with Nehru stating that the “Hindu Mahasabha had held meetings in defiance of the ban order in Pune, Ahmednagar and Delhi and speeches were delivered that Mahatma Gandhi was an impediment and the sooner he died the better; it would be for the country.”

“The RSS has behaved in an even worse way and we have collected a mass of information about its very objectionable activities and its close association with riots and disorder,” Nehru wrote.

He added that what pained him the most was the “extreme vulgarity and indecency of speeches being made from Hindu Mahasabha platforms.” Nehru noted that while one normally does not like to interfere with political activities, however much one may dislike them, “the limit of such things has been reached, if it has not already been crossed.”

Nehru said he was writing to Mookerjee because of his close association with the Hindu Mahasabha. “We are continually being asked in our party, in the Constituent Assembly as well as elsewhere, about your position in this matter. I should be grateful if you will let me know how you propose to deal with this situation, which must be as embarrassing to you as it is to me,” he wrote.

Sardar Patel’s letter

A second letter was written to Mookerjee a few months later, on July 18, 1948, by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

An overview of Patel’s letter reveals that he too was deeply concerned about the activities of the RSS and the Hindu Mahasabha in relation to Gandhi’s murder.

“As regards the RSS and the Hindu Mahasabha, the case relating to Gandhiji’s murder is sub judice and I should not like to say anything about the participation of the two organisations, but our reports do confirm that, as a result of the activities of these two bodies, particularly the former, an atmosphere was created in the country in which such a ghastly tragedy became possible,” Patel wrote.

He added that the activities of the RSS constituted a clear threat to the Government and the State and that, despite the ban, these activities had not died down.

“The activities of the RSS constituted a clear threat to the existence of Government and the State. Our reports show that those activities, despite the ban, have not died down. Indeed, as time has marched on, the RSS circles are becoming more defiant and are indulging in their subversive activities in an increasing measure,” Patel wrote.

Ramesh also shared a link to Nehru’s address on All India Radio on the night of January 30, 1948, following Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination.

Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse on this day in 1948.