New Delhi: Days after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union defence minister Rajnath Singh claimed that Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to build the Babri mosque, the Congress on Saturday (December 6), contradicted Singh and demanded an apology from the minister for “spreading falsehoods.”

”Here is Maniben's original diary entry in Gujarati on pages 212-213 in the book Samarpit Padchhayo Sardarno by CA R. S. Patel ' Aaresh', published by Sardar Patel Vallabhbhai Patel Memorial Society, 2025. There is a huge difference between what is contained in the original diary entry and what Rajnath Singh ji and his fellow distorians are propagating,” Congress general secretary (communications) posted on X on Saturday.

“The Defence Minister must apologise for the falsehoods he is spreading, simply in order to improve his relationship with the PM,” he added.

Earlier, while addressing a gathering at Sadhli village in Gujarat's Vadodara district on Tuesday (December 2), defence minister Singh had said Nehru wanted to build the Babri Masjid using public funds, but Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel didn't allow his plans to succeed.

Later, the BJP had cited a book by Patel's daughter to reiterate Singh's claims, and had claimed that Nehru also felt “repelled” by some temples in south India despite their beauty, reported Press Trust of India.

“The source of what Rajnath Singh said is the 'Inside Story of Sardar Patel: Diary of Maniben Patel'," BJP Rajya Sabha MP and national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi had said at a press conference .

He also claimed that on Page 24 of the book, it is written that Nehru raised the question of the Babri mosque, but Patel made it clear that the government could not spend any money on building a mosque.

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