Vadodara/Murshidabad: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh criticised former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, citing Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s opposition to using government funds for the Babri Masjid, to underline what he called Patel’s “true secular” principles.

Addressing the Sardar Sabha in Vadodara, Singh said, "Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was truly secular... When Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru spoke about spending government funds on the Babri Masjid issue, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel opposed it. At that time, he did not allow the Babri Masjid to be built with government money. Nehru ji raised the question of reconstruction of the Somnath Temple... 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. The Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has not been funded by government money. The entire cost has been borne by the people of this country..."

His remarks come at a time when a fresh controversy has broken out in poll-bound West Bengal, where TMC MLA Humayun Kabir announced plans to lay the foundation stone of a mosque modelled on the Babri Masjid in Murshidabad on December 6, the anniversary of the 1992 demolition.

The announcement has triggered sharp political reactions, with the Trinamool Congress distancing itself from the MLA’s statement and the BJP accusing the ruling party of “polarising the electorate” ahead of the elections. Posters promoting the event appeared across Beldanga earlier this week but were later vandalised, heightening tension in the communally sensitive district.

The planned ceremony has further intensified political tempers in Murshidabad, a minority-dominated district which had witnessed violent clashes in April during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.

'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.