New Delhi: The Congress Wednesday accused Defence Minister Rajnath Singh of “twisting and turning history”, criticising him for his remarks that the country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to build the Babri Masjid using public funds but that Sardar Patel did not allow his plans to succeed.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called the remark a distraction, saying these issues are raised to avoid discussions on matters that are important. Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi chose not to respond to Singh’s assertion, declining comment when reporters approached him outside Parliament.
“These are all distractions. There are many other real issues that need to be discussed. They create a new distraction every day so that we are unable to discuss the real issues of the people,” Priyanka told the media.
Addressing an event in Vadodara, Gujarat, on Tuesday, Singh, who is often seen as a moderate face in the BJP compared to his more hardline colleagues, sparked controversy by claiming that Patel stopped Nehru from using public funds to rebuild the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.
Singh added that when Nehru raised the issue of restoration of the Somnath temple, Patel explained “with firmness”, that the temple was different because it was being funded through donations to a public trust.
Although Singh did not cite any sources in his speech, several BJP-leaning social media accounts on Thursday quoted excerpts from the book Inside Story of Sardar Patel: The Diary of Maniben Patel, which presents a similar narrative.
Responding to Singh, Congress MP Manish Tewari told reporters, “Rajnath Singh should focus on strategic challenges instead of twisting and turning history to suit his narrative.”
Congress MP and Lok Sabha whip Manickam Tagore posted a long statement on X, accusing Singh of lying and rewriting the past to divide the present.
“There is zero archival or documentary evidence to support it. Nehru explicitly opposed using government money for religious places, including the reconstruction of the temple. He insisted it should be funded through public contributions, not the state. If Nehru refused public funds even for Somnath, a symbol revered by millions, why would he propose spending taxpayer money on Babri? The claim collapses under basic logic and historical record,” Tagore wrote.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Imran Pratapgarhi also criticised Singh, disputing the claim.
“Where did he even get such information from? He is the Defence Minister of the country. He has been a Chief Minister. He is considered a serious political figure, not like Modi ji. So he should at least maintain that dignity that whenever you make such statements, especially in a historical context, you must have factual evidence for it,” Pratapgarhi said.
(Edited by Vidhi Bhutra)
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