Congress leader Sonia Gandhi during the launch of ‘The Nehru Centre’ in New Delhi on December 5, 2025. | Photo credit: PTI
Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) president Sonia Gandhi on Friday (Dec 5, 2025) accused the ruling establishment of carrying out a deliberate project to defame Jawaharlal Nehru, saying the aim was not only to erase India’s first prime minister from public memory but also to “destroy the social, political and economic foundations” he helped build.
Speaking at the launch of the Nehru Center in India at Jawahar Bhawan, the CPP chairman said there was a “systematic effort” to distort Nehru’s ideas and undermine his contribution to the freedom movement and the shaping of modern India.
“Let there be no doubt that the project of defaming Jawaharlal Nehru is the main objective of today’s ruling establishment. Their aim is not only to erase him, but in fact to destroy the social, political and economic foundations on which our nation was founded and built,” Gandhi said.
She argued that Nehru was the chief architect of the modern Indian nation-state, who had a firm belief in planned economic growth and a deep commitment to the development of a scientific temper and technological and scientific capabilities.
“Secularism – which he strongly believed in – meant for him primarily the celebration of India’s many diversities while strengthening its fundamental unity,” Gandhi said.
‘intentional mischief’
Criticism of historical figures is legitimate, she noted, but “deliberate mischief” with Nehru’s words and actions is unacceptable. According to Mrs Gandhi, those driving this campaign subscribe to an ideology that “had no role in the freedom struggle, no role in drafting the constitution and even burnt it”.
“It is an ideology that long ago fueled the climate of hatred that ultimately led to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. His killers continue to be celebrated today by its adherents. It is an ideology that consistently rejected the ideals of our founding fathers. It is an ideology with a bigoted and maliciously communal view of the nation.” he remarked.
She argued that defending Nehru’s legacy was not an exercise in nostalgia. “It is a commitment to restore India’s constitutional promise, protect reason from propaganda and ensure that our republic remains modern and forward-looking,” she said.
Mrs Gandhi also appreciated the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund’s launch of a new digital archive containing all 100 published volumes of Nehru’s selected works – fully searchable and freely accessible, including on smartphones.
Published – 5 Dec 2025 22:13 IST
