Sonia Gandhi Accuses BJP of Campaign to ‘Vilify Nehru’ and Undermine India’s Foundations

In a rare and forceful public address, Congress MP Sonia Gandhi accused the ruling establishment of leading a sustained effort to “vilify” and “erase” India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Speaking at the launch of the Nehru Centre India at Jawahar Bhawan, Gandhi said the campaign went beyond criticism and had reached the stage of “distorting, demeaning and defaming” Nehru’s legacy.

Although she did not name the BJP or RSS, her remarks were directly aimed at the ruling party’s recurring attacks on Nehru and the Congress.

‘Goal is not just to erase Nehru, but to destroy foundations of India’

Sonia Gandhi asserted that the “project to vilify Nehru” aligned with a larger ideological mission.

“Let there be no doubt that the project to vilify Nehru is the main objective of the ruling establishment. Their goal is not just to erase him; it is to destroy the social, political and economic foundations on which our nation was built,” she said.

Her remarks come days after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh alleged that Nehru attempted to use public funds to reconstruct the Babri Masjid—an assertion Congress has called false and inflammatory.

‘Criticism is welcome, manipulation is not’

Gandhi clarified that Nehru’s life and work must be open to study and debate. However, she condemned what she called “deliberate mischief” with Nehru’s writings and historical context.

“While analysis of his contributions is welcome, systematic attempts to distort and demean him are unacceptable,” she said.

She added that Nehru was being judged outside the context of the challenges he faced, and that such selective narratives were being weaponised for political gains.

Sharp critique of the ideological forces behind the campaign

Without naming the RSS, Gandhi said the ideology behind the attacks had no role in the freedom struggle or the framing of the Constitution.

“It is an ideology that once fanned the hatred that led to Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. Its adherents today continue to glorify his killers,” she said, describing it as “bigoted and viciously communal.”

‘We must confront this project’

Calling the road ahead difficult, Gandhi urged the audience to resist attempts to rewrite India’s history and undermine Nehru’s legacy.

She said it was essential to stand firm against any “crude, self-serving attempts” to diminish the stature of one of India’s most influential nation-builders.