Lies, half-truths: Congress slams BJP criticism of Nehru over Somnath temple issue

The Congress connected Wednesday (January 7, 2026) slammed the BJP for accusing archetypal Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of indulging successful appeasement authorities implicit the Somnath temple issue, saying the ruling enactment was resorting to "lies and half-truths" by selectively quoting from Nehru's letters.

Congress person Piyush Babele said erstwhile the BJP is raising the contented of past President Rajendra Prasad's information successful the rebuilt Somnath temple inauguration, it indispensable reply wherefore President Droupadi Murmu was not invited to be the inauguration of the Ram temple successful Ayodhya.

"They (BJP) are serving lies and presenting it arsenic truth, they are serving fractional truths. They selectively propulsion retired Nehru's letters with the discourse taken distant arsenic the letters written earlier and aft are not talked about," Babele said successful a video that was reposted by Congress wide caput in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh connected X.

In a station connected X on with his video, Mr. Babele said, "The Bharatiya Janata Party keeps raising the aforesaid question repeatedly: that then-Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had stopped then-President Dr. Rajendra Prasad from attending the inauguration of the Somnath Temple. Before we exposure this lie, volition the BJP reply this: During the Modi government, who stopped then-President Shri Ram Nath Kovind, who comes from the Dalit community, from attending the instauration chromatic laying ceremonial of the Ram Temple successful Ayodhya?" During the Modi government, who stopped the existent President, Droupadi Murmu, who comes from the Adivasi community, from attending the inauguration of the Ram Temple successful Ayodhya, helium asked.

"Were these 2 Presidents not invited to the lawsuit due to the fact that they travel from the Dalit and Adivasi communities? And it is simply a well-known information that the BJP and RSS person a argumentation against the Dalit and Adivasi communities," helium alleged.

Countering the BJP, Mr. Babele said that connected November 28, 1947, successful his supplication gathering successful Delhi, Mahatma Gandhi had intelligibly stated that the Junagadh authorities could not usage nationalist funds from the State treasury to physique the Somnath temple.

"When Gandhiji asked Sardar Patel whether helium was giving immoderate wealth from the authorities treasury for the operation of the Somnath Temple, Sardar Patel had stated, 'As agelong arsenic I americium alive, not a azygous paisa from the authorities treasury volition beryllium fixed for the operation of the Somnath Temple. Hindu nine tin physique the temple done donations'," Mr. Babele pointed out.

When the clip came for the inauguration of the Somnath temple successful 1951, it came to airy that the then-government of Saurashtra had fixed ₹5 lakh for the temple's construction, helium said.

"Building the temple with authorities funds was against the wishes of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and the provisions of the Indian Constitution. Pandit Nehru, adhering to this precise policy, was opposing the usage of authorities funds successful the temple's construction," helium said.

On March 2, 1951, past President Dr. Rajendra Prasad himself wrote a missive to Nehru asking that helium wished to be the temple's inauguration successful his idiosyncratic capacity, helium said.

In effect connected the aforesaid day, Pandit Nehru wrote that his objection was to the usage of authorities funds successful the temple's operation and successful specified a case, if the authorities gets involved, it would spell against secular policies, Mr. Babele said.

"'But if you person already promised to be the temple's inauguration, I volition not halt you'," helium said quoting Nehru's effect to Prasad.

In a missive written to Chakravarti Rajagopalachari connected March 11, 1951, Pandit Nehru repeated the aforesaid constituent and said that if Dr. Rajendra Prasad wants to go, helium should go, Mr. Babele said.

In a missive written to K.M. Munshi connected April 22, 1951, Pandit Nehru besides said that "it was not close example" for the Saurashtra authorities to springiness ₹5 lakh, helium said.

The BJP connected Wednesday (January 7) launched a caller onslaught connected the Congress, alleging that successful autarkic India, Nehru hated Lord Somnath the most.

In a bid of posts connected X, BJP nationalist spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi alleged that Nehru did not privation the rebuilding of Somnath temple aft Independence owed to his "blind appeasement politics" successful pursuance of which helium did not refrain from adjacent glorifying Mughal invaders.