Congress targets govt over LS reply denying missing Nehru documents at PMML

The Congress on Tuesday lashed out at the government following its response in the Lok Sabha asserting that no documents related to India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, were missing from the Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) during its annual inspection. The opposition party raised questions over whether an apology would be forthcoming for the confusion surrounding the archival records.

The controversy traces back to September, when Rizwan Kadri, a member of the PMML Society, wrote to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi seeking physical or digital access to private papers connected to Nehru that are in her possession. Congress, highlighting the government’s written reply, suggested that the truth had finally emerged in Parliament. “Will there be an apology forthcoming?” asked Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary in charge of communications.

Union culture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat informed the Lok Sabha that the annual inspection of the PMML this year revealed that no Nehru documents were missing. Responding to a query by BJP MP Sambit Patra, Shekhawat also noted that the PMML does not currently conduct an annual audit of its documents.

When asked whether certain Nehru documents had been “improperly or illegally removed,” the minister replied that the question “does not arise.” Furthermore, in the 2025 Annual General Meeting of the PMML, Shekhawat confirmed that no decisions had been taken regarding the non-availability of Nehru’s documents.

Housed in the iconic Teen Murti Bhawan, which also accommodates the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya, the PMML preserves a treasure trove of books and rare records chronicling India’s political history. The Teen Murti Bhawan, originally the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library after Nehru’s passing, was rechristened the PMML Society in 2023.

The PMML Society, the institution’s key decision-making body, is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its president, with defence minister Rajnath Singh serving as vice-president. Congress’s sharp rebuke underscores the political sensitivity surrounding archival records of the nation’s first prime minister, highlighting a delicate interplay between history, heritage, and politics in the corridors of power.

With PTI inputs