Breaking: Rajnath Singh reignites debate with claim on Nehru’s stance in Babri dispute

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has sparked a fresh political debate after making a major claim involving former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the Babri Masjid dispute. Speaking at a Unity March event held in Sardali village, Gujarat, on the occasion of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 150th birth anniversary celebrations, Singh highlighted Patel’s ideology and his role in shaping early India. He stated that Jawaharlal Nehru had once suggested rebuilding the Babri Masjid using public funds, a proposal that Sardar Patel allegedly rejected. According to Singh, this reflected Patel’s commitment to fairness and non-appeasement. Singh further claimed that after Patel’s death, Nehru proposed diverting public donations collected for Patel’s memorial towards constructing wells and roads—an act Singh described as an attempt to dilute Patel’s legacy. He added that from the Somnath Temple to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, both projects were completed entirely through public support, not government funding, reinforcing Patel’s principles of impartiality. Meanwhile, the Opposition has strongly criticised Singh’s remarks, accusing him of spreading a misleading narrative and invoking Patel-Nehru differences for political gain. Leaders have demanded documentary evidence and cautioned against rewriting history for political messaging.