The BJP, India’s ruling party, has reignited interest in the decades-old relationship between Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, and Edwina Mountbatten, the wife of the last viceroy of India, Louis Mountbatten. The controversy revolves around alleged “missing” correspondence between the two, which the BJP claims is being hidden by the Nehru-Gandhi family for fear of embarrassment, according to The Times.
The BJP accuses Sonia Gandhi, the former Congress president and Nehru’s granddaughter-in-law, of concealing 51 boxes of letters exchanged between Nehru and Edwina. Historian Rizwan Kadri, who heads a library and museum dedicated to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has formally requested the release of the letters, emphasizing their historical value. “Making these historical materials accessible would greatly benefit scholars and researchers,” Kadri said, although analysts argue the BJP’s real intent might be to unearth material that could tarnish Nehru’s legacy.
Amit Malviya, a senior BJP official, and Sambit Patra, a party spokesperson, have both questioned the secrecy around the letters, insinuating the possibility of scandal. Political commentator Parsa Venkateshwar Rao dismissed these accusations as a “fishing expedition” to smear Nehru, a figure whom the BJP frequently criticizes. “The BJP’s parochial mindset finds such an intimate relationship between a married woman and a widower unthinkable,” he said.
Historians and biographers have long documented the deep bond between Nehru and Edwina, often describing it as a loving but non-physical relationship. Pamela Hicks, Edwina’s daughter, affirmed this in her memoir, Daughter of Empire, portraying their connection as one of intellectual and emotional companionship rather than romance. Hicks recounted that Nehru and Edwina found solace in each other during tumultuous times, with Edwina’s husband, Lord Mountbatten, aware and accepting of their closeness.
After India’s independence in 1947, Nehru and Edwina maintained their correspondence, exchanging letters and gifts until her death in 1960. Following her burial at sea off Portsmouth, Nehru arranged for an Indian navy frigate to escort the ship and cast a wreath in her memory, a poignant symbol of their enduring bond.
