The Congress party has called for an apology from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh after he claimed Jawaharlal Nehru proposed using government funds for Babri Masjid, a statement the party says misrepresents Sardar Patel's daughter's diary. Sharing excerpts from the original diary, Congress highlighted discrepancies in Singh's account. The controversy stems from Singh's recent speech in Gujarat.
The Congress party on Saturday demanded that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh apologize for alleging that former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru sought to use government treasury funds to build the Babri Masjid, a proposal supposedly opposed by then Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh shared screenshots of pages 212-213 from Maniben Patel's original Gujarati diary entry in the book 'Samarpit Padchhayo Sardarno' by CA R S Patel 'Aaresh', published by the Sardar Patel Vallabhbhai Patel Memorial Society in 2025. Ramesh emphasized on X, “There is a huge difference between what is contained in original diary entry and what Rajnath Singh ji and his fellow ‘distorians’ are propagating.” He accused the minister of spreading falsehoods to strengthen ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Singh made the remarks on December 2 during a speech in Vadodara’s Sadhli village, stating, “When Pandit Nehru raised the issue of spending money from the government treasury on the Babri Masjid, it was Sardar Patel, son of a Gujarati mother, who opposed it.”
The BJP has referenced a book by Patel’s daughter to back Singh’s claims, also noting Nehru’s expressed repulsion toward some South Indian temples despite their aesthetic appeal. This exchange underscores ongoing political debates over historical interpretations between the two parties.