"Nehru Wanted To Build Babri Masjid Using Public Funds": Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said the country's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to build the "Babri masjid" using public funds, but Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel didn't allow his plans to succeed.

He also claimed that Nehru had suggested that funds collected by the common people for building a memorial for Patel after his death be utilised for constructing wells and roads.

Addressing a gathering at Sadhli village near Vadodara as part of a 'Unity March' to commemorate Sardar Patel's 150th birth anniversary, Singh hailed Patel as a true liberal and secular person who never believed in appeasement.

"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 funds," said Singh.

When Nehru raised the issue of restoring the Somnath Temple in Gujarat, Patel clarified that the temple was a different matter because Rs 30 lakh required for its facelift had been donated by common people, he added.

"A trust had been established, and not a single penny of the government's money had been spent on this (Somnath temple) work. Similarly, the government didn't give a single rupee to construct the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The entire cost was borne by the people of the country. This is called real secularism," the BJP veteran said.

Singh said Sardar Patel could have become the Prime Minister, but he never hankered for any position in his career. Despite ideological differences with Nehru, he worked with him because he had given a promise to Mahatma Gandhi, the defence minister added.

He claimed that Nehru became the president of Congress in 1946 because Patel withdrew his nomination on Gandhi's advice.

"In 1946, the President of Congress was to be elected. A majority of the Congress committee members proposed Vallabhbhai Patel's name. When Gandhiji asked Patel to let Nehru become the president and withdraw his nomination, he immediately withdrew his name," said Singh.

Without naming anybody, Singh said some political forces wanted to erase Patel's legacy. "It was PM Narendra Modi whose crucial role re-established Patel as a shining star in the annals of history".

Singh claimed that "some people" tried to hide and erase Patel's legacy, but they won't succeed until the BJP is in power.

"After Patel died, common people collected funds to build a memorial for him, but when this information reached Nehruji, he said Sardar Patel was a leader of farmers, so this money should be spent on building wells and roads in the village.

"What a farce! Building wells and roads is the government's responsibility. The suggestion of using memorial funds for that was absurd," said Singh.

This indicated that the government of that time wanted to hide and suppress Patel's great legacy at all costs, he added.

"Nehruji awarded himself the Bharat Ratna, but why was Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel not honoured with the Bharat Ratna at that time? PM Narendra Modiji decided to honour Sardar Patel appropriately by building the Statue of Unity. This is truly commendable work by our PM," Singh said.

Singh also dismissed arguments that Patel was too old to become the Prime Minister.

"This is completely wrong. Morarji Desai was over 80 years old. If he could become prime minister of India, why couldn't Sardar Patel, who was under 80?" asked Singh.

Referring to the Kashmir issue, Singh said if demands raised by Patel had been heeded at the time of Kashmir's merger, India wouldn't have had to grapple with the Kashmir problem for so long.

He said Patel always believed in resolving problems through dialogue.

"However, when all avenues were blocked, he didn't hesitate to adopt a tough approach. When the need arose for Hyderabad's merger, Patel took that stance. Had he not adopted a tough stance, perhaps Hyderabad would not have been a part of India," said Singh, referring to Patel's tenure as the first home minister of India.

He said the PM Modi's government has also upheld this value through Operation Sindoor.

India showed the world through Operation Sindoor that it is capable of giving a befitting reply to those who do not understand the language of peace and harmony. Operation Sindoor is being discussed not only on Indian soil but also in other countries around the world.

"We have sent a clear message that India is a peace-loving country. India does not provoke anyone. But if anyone provokes us, India will not let them go. Under the leadership of PM Modi, Sardar Patel's vision of 'One India, Best India' has been strengthened further," the defence minister said.

He said removing Article 370 was not a small feat, and it was PM Modi who connected Kashmir with India by doing so (abrogating the special status of Jammu and Kashmir).

"By turning the weakness for which the world was taunting us at that time into a strength, Sardar Patel showed the country the way forward. And following that path, India, surrounded by doubts, now talks to the world on its own terms, not on the terms of other countries," he said.

India is rapidly moving towards becoming the world's largest economic and strategic power, he added.

The 'padyatra' was organised by the Gujarat government from Karamsad town, the birthplace of Sardar Patel, in Anand district, to the Statue of Unity in Narmada district to mark his 150th birth anniversary.

The Unity March was flagged on November 26. It is scheduled to culminate at the Statue of Unity on December 6.  

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)