Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday claimed that India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, had proposed building the Babri Masjid using public funds, but Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel opposed the idea and prevented it from happening.
Speaking at a gathering in Sadhli village near Vadodara during the ‘Unity March’ to mark Patel’s 150th birth anniversary, Singh praised Patel as a true secular leader who upheld inclusivity without appeasing any particular group. “Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to build the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya 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 money,” Singh said.
Singh highlighted that Patel supported the restoration of the Somnath Temple, but ensured that public donations, not government funds, were used for the work. “Not a single penny of the government’s money was spent on the Somnath temple. Similarly, the government didn’t give a single rupee to construct the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. This is real secularism,” he said.
The Defence Minister also praised Patel for his selfless contribution to the nation, saying that despite having the opportunity to become India’s Prime Minister, Patel never sought high office. Singh recalled the 1946 Congress elections when Patel withdrew his nomination for Congress President at Mahatma Gandhi’s request, allowing Nehru to take the position.
Singh criticised attempts to diminish Patel’s legacy, but lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for restoring Patel’s stature, especially through the creation of the Statue of Unity. He further recalled that after Patel’s death, funds collected for his memorial were redirected by Nehru for roads and wells, which Singh described as a “farce,” noting that building infrastructure was already the government’s responsibility.
Singh also said that while Nehru had awarded himself the Bharat Ratna, Patel was not honoured during his lifetime. “It was only under PM Modi that Sardar Patel was finally recognised with the Bharat Ratna through the Statue of Unity,” he added.
