Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jan 30: On the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday recalled two letters written in 1948 by Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to Syama Prasad Mookerjee, in which both leaders had strongly criticised the activities of the Hindu Mahasabha and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

The Congress general secretary in-charge of communications said that Nehru had written to Mookerjee just two days before Gandhi’s assassination, while Sardar Patel had sent a separate letter on July 18, 1948, raising serious concerns over the conduct of the organisations.

Calling the letters “damning indictments”, Ramesh said they exposed the actions of what he termed the “self-declared custodians of nationalism”. In a post on X, he also made an apparent reference to controversial remarks made in 2024 by BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay, stating that the mindset reflected in such comments was revealing.

Ramesh also shared a link to Nehru’s address on All India Radio on the night of January 30, 1948, following Gandhi’s assassination.

In his letter, Nehru had written that the Hindu Mahasabha had held meetings in defiance of ban orders in Pune, Ahmednagar and Delhi. He further stated that speeches were made portraying Mahatma Gandhi as an impediment to the nation and suggesting that his death would benefit the country. Nehru had also alleged that the RSS behaved in an even worse manner and that authorities had collected extensive information on its objectionable activities.

Ramesh also shared a screenshot of Sardar Patel’s letter, in which Patel criticised the role and activities of both the RSS and the Hindu Mahasabha.

Mahatma Gandhi, a central figure in India’s freedom struggle, was assassinated by Nathuram Godse on January 30, 1948.