Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has launched a sharp critique against the ruling establishment, alleging a systematic and deliberate campaign to tarnish the legacy of India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. She made these remarks during the launch of the Nehru Centre India in New Delhi on Friday, December 6, 2025.
A Concerted Effort to Demean a Founding Father
Sonia Gandhi asserted that a specific "project" is actively working to diminish Nehru's universally recognized role in India's freedom struggle and his leadership in the nascent, challenge-ridden nation. While acknowledging that analysis and critique of such a monumental figure are inevitable and welcome, she drew a clear line between scholarly examination and deliberate distortion.
"Analysis is one thing, but deliberate mischief with what he said, what he wrote and what he did is another thing and totally unacceptable," Gandhi stated. She emphasized that the current campaign goes beyond mere criticism, aiming to "denigrate, distort, demean and defame" Nehru in a self-serving attempt to rewrite the country's history.
Linking Critics to Ideological Forces Against Freedom Struggle
In a direct political charge, Sonia Gandhi identified the forces behind this alleged project. She claimed they belong to an ideology that had no role in India's freedom movement or the making of its Constitution. In fact, she accused this ideology of having burnt the Constitution and being historically opposed to it.
Gandhi went further, connecting this ideology to the atmosphere of hate that led to Mahatma Gandhi's assassination. "His killers today continue to be glorified by its adherents," she said, describing the ideology as having a "bigoted and viciously communal outlook" that bases its approach to nationhood on stoking prejudices.
The Ultimate Goal: Undermining India's Foundations
Sonia Gandhi framed the issue as one that goes far beyond historical revisionism about a single individual. She warned that the objective is fundamentally destructive to the nation's core.
"Let there be no doubt whatsoever that the project to vilify Jawaharlal Nehru ji is the main objective of the ruling establishment today," she declared. "Their goal is not just to erase him; it is actually to destroy the social, political, and economic foundations on which our nation has been founded and built."
Her speech positioned the defense of Nehru's legacy as a defense of the pluralistic, secular, and democratic ideals that, according to the Congress, form the bedrock of modern India. The event marks a significant escalation in the political and ideological battle over historical narrative between the Congress and the ruling BJP-led NDA government.
