Congress and BJP clash over Jawaharlal Nehru letter archive

The Congress and the BJP engaged in a war of words on Saturday regarding the ownership of a collection of letters written by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on the occasion of his 137th birth anniversary.

The Digital Archive

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh highlighted the popularity of the Nehru Archive, which is a digital repository containing 100 volumes of selected works from the period between 1903 and 1964. The platform recorded over one million unique visitors and more than four million page views in the year since its launch in January 2025. Ramesh stated that the digital platform includes roughly 77,000 pages, over 34,000 text documents, and more than 3,000 images, describing the material as essential for understanding 20th-century India. He added that the site is free to use, smartphone-friendly, and helpful for students, scholars, journalists, and the general public.

The Demand

In response, BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan accused senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi of abruptly taking the letters in May 2008. He demanded that the party return the 51 cartons containing the letters, claiming that failure to do so raises suspicion that the Congress family has something to hide. A previous report by The Indian Express from December 15, 2025, noted that Sonia Gandhi had earlier assured the Prime Ministers' Museum and Library of her cooperation, with sources indicating her staff would look into the matter.

Context

Disputes over historical documents and archives frequently become points of political contention between ruling and opposition parties in India. Physical letters and institutional repositories often remain subjects of debate regarding public access, custodianship, and historical preservation.