New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday termed as “lie” and “WhatsApp university story” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s claim that India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to build Babri masjid using public funds, and said Singh should not walk on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s path.
Addressing a gathering at Sadhli village in Gujarat’s Vadodara district on Tuesday, Singh had said Nehru wanted to build Babri masjid using public funds, but Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel didn’t allow his plans to succeed.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the remarks were aimed at distracting attention from real issues that need to be discussed.
“These are all distractions. There are many other real issues that need to be discussed. They create a new distraction every day so that we are unable to discuss the real issues of the people,” the Wayanad MP told reporters.
Asked about the issue at a press conference, Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said, “We would like to tell the defence minister — ‘aap toh aise na the’ (you weren’t like this). We can understand others, the PM is very learned, we can understand him making such statements…show us evidence.”
“They do not have evidence of it but we have evidence that an 800-year-old temple is being demolished because RSS office’s parking has to be constructed. They make such weird statements, Babri masjid, when was it constructed? Probably 1560. When was Nehru ji born? When did Sardar Patel die, in 1950…Nehru ji was there even 14 years after that, did he build Babri mosque? Sardar Patel was not there then to stop him.”
“So Rajnath Singh should not walk on the path of Modi ji. Modi ji has caused big harm to the BJP, now if others also follow the same path, we will benefit, they will finish the party,” he said.
Congress’ whip in the Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore said it is very surprising to see Rajnath Singh “running these kinds of fake news factories and WhatsApp university stories”.
“We all know Nehru ji stood for ideological path. His rules were very clear, government money should not be used for temples, mosques, churches to be built and devotees should raise their money for this. Government money is for IITs, IIMs. I don’t now why they are dragging Nehru into this. Let them show the document. This is a lie told by Rajnath Singh ji,” Tagore said.
Congress MP from Chandigarh, Manish Tewari, said the defence minister should focus on strategic challenges “instead of twisting and turning history to suit his narrative”.
Party’s Saharanpur MP Imran Masood also questioned Singh’s claim.
“I don’t know why he is making such remarks. We only know of one historical document. If it concerns Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, they should have the document…,” Masood told reporters.
“Nobody will accept it just because he says so. Yes, there is one document in which Sardar Patel took action to ban the RSS… All of this was done by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. His roadmap is the very path on which the country is progressing today. He also fostered scientific thinking,” he said.
Congress MP from Katihar, Tariq Anwar, accused the BJP leader of “digging up old issues”.
“Whether it is Rajnath Singh, the prime minister, or the entire BJP and NDA government, their only job seems to be digging up old issues, reviving past controversies, and raking up history.
“They keep talking about Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, but Nehru is not alive today to respond. They deliberately pull such topics out of the pages of history, knowing well that the person they are accusing is no longer present to answer for himself,” he said.
Several other opposition leaders also slammed Rajnath Singh’s remarks.
Samajwadi Party (SP) MP from Azamgarh Dharmendra Yadav, said Singh should focus on defence issues.
“Rajnath Singh is a very experienced leader and India’s defence minister, and he should focus on providing facilities and other conveniences to our armed forces and fighters… I believe the defence minister may not be fully aware of such matters. You know how the Bharatiya Janata Party presents historical facts, and I think the entire country understands this,” he said.
TMC MP Kirti Azad and NCP(SP)’s Fauzia Khan also spoke on similar lines.
“Rajnath Singh is in a very responsible constitutional post serving as the Defence Minister. He is such a senior leader… it doesn’t suit him. He should either present evidence of what he is saying or apologise and resign. It is shameful…” Azad said.
Khan, meanwhile, said, “I feel the topic is condemnable. The money that should be used for the Masjid should be earned honestly; there is no such thing as government funding, so why is it being discussed?”
