Nehru sought public funds for Babri Masjid, claims Rajnath Singh
What's the story
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has alleged that India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, wanted to use public money to construct the Babri Masjid. He made these remarks during a "Unity March" in Gujarat on Tuesday, marking Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's 150th birth anniversary, according to PTI. "Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to build the Babri Masjid using public funds," Singh said at the event.
Opposition stance
Patel opposed Nehru's Babri Masjid proposal, claims Singh
Singh further claimed that Sardar Patel, who was born to a Gujarati mother, opposed Nehru's proposal. He said when the issue of restoring the Somnath Temple came up, Patel clarified that funds for its renovation were donated by the public. "A trust had been established, and not a single penny of the government's money had been spent on this work," Singh added.
Funding details
Singh highlights public funding for temples
Singh also emphasized that no government funds were used for constructing the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. "The entire cost was borne by the people of the country. This is called real secularism," he said. The Defence Minister also alleged that Nehru became the Congress president in 1946 after Patel withdrew his nomination on Mahatma Gandhi's advice.
Legacy concerns
Singh accuses political forces of erasing Patel's legacy
Without naming anybody, Singh also alleged that some political forces tried to erase Patel's legacy. "After Patel died, common people collected funds to build a memorial for him, but when this information reached Nehruji, he said Sardar Patel was a leader of farmers, so this money should be spent on building wells and roads in the village," he said. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for restoring Patel as a "shining star in the annals of history."