‘Sardar Patel Truly Secular’: Rajnath Singh's Babri Masjid-Nehru Remark Angers Congress, Party Calls It ‘Lie And Divisive'

Vadodara: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh ignited a fresh political debate on Tuesday by contrasting the actions of India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, with those of the first Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Speaking at the 'Sardar Sabha' in Gujarat's Vadodara, Rajnath Singh said that Sardar Patel always believed in ‘truly secular’ principles because and hde never engaged in ‘appeasement’ politics.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh claimed that former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to use government funds to build Babri Masjid, but it was the then Home Minister Sadar Vallabhbhai Patel who opposed the idea, as he was ‘truly secular’. 

"Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was truly secular. He never believed in appeasement. When Jawaharlal Nehru spoke about spending government funds on the Babri Masjid issue, if anyone opposed it, it was one born in Gujarat, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who opposed it. At that time, he did not allow the Babri Masjid to be built with government money," Rajnath Singh said.

The Defence Minister said that earlier parallels were drawn between the reconstruction of the Gir Somnath temple, but Patel rejected similarities between the two cases, highlighting that the Somnath temple was rebuilt with donations instead of government money.

"Nehru raised the question of the reconstruction of the Somnath Temple. When the question was raised, then Sardar clarified that the Somnath Temple case was different; the public had donated Rs 30 lakh there, a trust had been formed, and not even a single penny of government money was used," Rajnath Singh said.

Drawing similarities to the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the Defence Minister said, “The Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has not been funded by government money. The people of this country have borne the entire cost.”

On November 25, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed the sacred Hindu ritual of "Dhwaja Arohan" by hoisting a 22-foot religious (dharmic) flag. In scriptural tradition, the raising of the dhwaja symbolises the triumphant victory of dharma over adharma and serves as an open invitation to devotees around the world to participate in this celebration.

Congress Calls Rajnath Singh's Nehru-Babri Masjid Claim 'Lie'

The Congress sharply criticised Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's statement on former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. 

Senior Congress MP Manickam Tagore took to social media to call the claim ‘a lie’, asserting there is ‘zero archival or documentary evidence to support it’. Tagore argued that Nehru's consistent stand was that government funds should not be used for any religious construction. 

"Nehruji explicitly opposed using government money for religious places - including the reconstruction of Temple. He insisted it should be funded through public contributions, not the state," Manickam Tagore posted on X.

The Congress MP accused the Defence Minister of attempting to ‘rewrite the past to divide the present’. He called it a simple BJP strategy that is ‘insult our founders, invent stories, fuel polarisation’. He also vowed that Congress will not allow the legacy of Nehru or Patel to be distorted by 'Godse’s followers'. 

About 'Sardar Sabha' 

'Sardar Sabha' was organised on Tuesday as part of the 'Unity March' organised by Mera Yuva (MY) Bharat under the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in the event. Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, Union Minister of Sports Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje and other dignitaries were present.

Paying tribute to Bharat Ratna Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on behalf of all the people of Uttarakhand, the Chief Minister said that Sardar Patel realised the dream of an integrated India through his indomitable willpower, farsightedness and unwavering dedication. 

(With ANI inputs)