The Ministry of Culture informed the Lok Sabha that all documents related to Jawaharlal Nehru at the Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library (PMML) are intact, dismissing earlier claims of missing papers.
PMML does not have a policy for annual audits of its archival holdings, and no decisions were taken in 2025 regarding the alleged unavailability of Nehru papers.
PMML had sought access to private Nehru papers held by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for research purposes, with Gandhi’s staff reportedly reviewing the request.
The Union Ministry of Culture has informed the Lok Sabha that no documents relating to India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, are missing from the Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library (PMML). It also said the institution does not conduct an annual audit of its archival holdings.
The clarification, given in a written reply on Monday, prompted a sharp response from the Congress, which asked whether the government would issue an apology over earlier claims suggesting documents were missing.
Responding to a starred question raised by BJP MP Dr Sambit Patra, Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that no Nehru-related documents were found missing during PMML’s inspection in 2025. Consequently, questions of illegal removal, identification of those responsible, or disciplinary action “do not arise”, he said.
The Minister also confirmed that PMML has not formulated any policy for conducting an annual audit of its documents. He added that no decision had been taken at the institution’s 2025 annual general meeting regarding the alleged non-availability of Nehru papers.
Congress general secretary and communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh shared the government’s reply on social media, claiming it had exposed the truth and asking whether an apology would now follow.
The issue has unfolded alongside efforts by PMML to access private papers of Jawaharlal Nehru alleged to be in the possession of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. In September, PMML Society member Rizwan Kadri said he had written to Ms Gandhi seeking physical or digital access to the material for scholars and historians.
PMML authorities reportedly wrote to Gandhi twice this year after the matter was discussed at the PMML Society’s annual general meeting in 2024. Sources said the first letter, sent in January, did not receive a response.
This week, however, it was reported that Gandhi replied stating that “her staff will look into it”.
PMML is housed at Teen Murti Bhawan in central Delhi, formerly the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, which was renamed in 2023. The PMML Society is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh as vice-president. Its meetings have been attended by several Union Ministers and senior members of the institution.
Separately, the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund, a non-profit trust chaired by Sonia Gandhi and based on the same campus, has recently launched a digital Nehru archive. The initiative provides free access to 100 volumes of Nehru’s selected works, comprising more than 35,000 documents.
