The Congress on Thursday hit back at the BJP-led central government after it asked party leader Sonia Gandhi to return 51 cartons of documents related to India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, to the Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library (PMML). Congress MP Imran Masood criticised the move, accusing the government of being fixated on Nehru while turning a blind eye to pressing national concerns.

Masood said the ruling dispensation appears to have little else to talk about apart from Nehru, even as serious problems continue to affect the country. He pointed to the worsening air pollution across Delhi and north India, the rupee’s slide against the dollar and signs of economic stress, alleging that the government is failing to address these challenges. According to him, instead of focusing on governance and public welfare, the Centre is repeatedly invoking Nehru to divert attention.

The controversy revolves around a set of historical papers linked to Jawaharlal Nehru that were earlier housed at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, now renamed the Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library. After Nehru’s death, his official residence, Teen Murti Bhawan, was converted into the museum and archive. The government has said that the documents were formally handed over in 2008 but later taken back by the family, and has now sought their return to ensure public access.

Union culture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has argued that the documents are important public records and should be available to scholars, researchers, Parliament and citizens to enable a transparent and balanced understanding of Nehru’s era. He maintained that history should not be selectively curated and that archival openness is essential for a democratic society.

The Congress, however, has dismissed the demand as politically motivated, framing it as another attempt by the BJP to keep Nehru at the centre of political debate rather than engaging with contemporary governance issues.