‘Nehru wanted the Babri Masjid built with public funds, it was Patel who stopped him’: Rajnath Singh in Gujarat

Rajnath Singh on Nehru and Patel
Rajnath Singh (Image via TOI)

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday (2nd December) made a strong claim about India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, saying he wanted the now-demolished disputed structure known as Babri Masjid to be built using government funds. 

The Union Minister was speaking at a ‘Unity March’ in Gujarat to commemorate Sardar Patel’s 150th birth anniversary.

“Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to build the Babri Masjid using public funds. If anyone opposed this proposal, it was Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, born to a Gujarati mother. He didn’t allow the Babri Masjid to be built using public funds,” Rajnath Singh said.

Rajnath says Patel corrected Nehru over Somnath Temple funds

Addressing the gathering in Gujarat’s Vadodara, Singh said Nehru had also questioned the money spent on rebuilding the Somnath temple in Gujarat.

According to him, Patel had clarified to Nehru that the ₹30 lakh used for the temple’s reconstruction came entirely from public donations, not from government funds. A trust had been established for this purpose, and no state funds were spent.

Singh further took a dig at Nehru, saying he awarded himself the Bharat Ratna, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi honoured Patel by building the Statue of Unity. He called it a “truly admirable” decision by the PM.

‘If Patel had become PM, Kashmir would have been different’

The Defence Minister also referred to the leadership discussions within the Congress in 1946 and said that most of the Congress committees had proposed Patel’s name for the party presidency. However, Patel withdrew his name on Mahatma Gandhi’s request to make way for Nehru to take the post.

Singh said if Patel had become the Prime Minister, Kashmir’s situation would have been completely different today. He termed the removal of Article 370 as a historical step, in tune with Patel’s approach.

Rajnath Singh praised Patel’s leadership during the integration of Hyderabad, calling him someone who believed in dialogue but also took tough actions when required. He compared Patel’s style with the current government’s Operation Sindoor, saying it sent a clear message that India wants peace but will respond firmly if provoked.

Singh further said that after Patel’s death, Nehru said that the public subscriptions for Patel’s memorial should be used to construct wells and roads, an utterly unreasonable proposition according to Singh.

He said that, just like the Somnath temple, the Ram Temple at Ayodhya was also built without government funding; thus, all the expenses were borne by the public.

Written by Shriti Sagar
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