Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said forces that had opposed the post-Independence restoration of the Somnath temple were still active and must
be defeated, a remark seen as a veiled attack on Jawaharlal Nehru.
Speaking at an event in the Gujarat temple town to mark 1,000 years since Mahmud of Ghazni’s invasion, Modi sought to underscore his Hindu revivalist narrative. He said that while such forces had earlier used “swords”, they now operated through “conspiracies” aimed at dividing the country.
“Sadly, even today, forces that opposed the reconstruction of Somnath remain active in our country. Today, instead of swords, conspiracies against India take other malicious forms. That is why we must be more vigilant, stronger and united to defeat every force that seeks to divide us,” Modi said.
The event was celebrated as “Somnath Pride Festival” to underscore the temple’s significance as a “symbol of resilience, faith and national pride”. Modi said Somnath’s history was not that of destruction and defeat but of victory and renewal.
“From Ghazni to Aurangzeb, all religious fundamentalist thought that by their sword they had won Somnath,” Modi said. “This is the cycle of time that fundamentalist invaders are now reduced to the pages of history, but the Somnath temple still stands tall,” he added, obliquely seeking to glorify the strength of the Hindu civilisation.
Though he did not name Nehru in his address, Modi had written in a blog post last week that the first Prime Minister was “not too enthused” about the restoration and reopening of the Somnath temple in 1951. The BJP also held a media address last week to directly accuse Nehru of glorifying Mahmud Ghazni in The Discovery of India and opposing the restoration of the Somnath temple.
On Sunday, Modi alleged that historical narratives had sought to “disguise” the “fanaticism” of Mughal invaders as acts of “mere plunder”. “The sacred idol of Somnath was desecrated and the temple’s form was repeatedly altered. Yet we were taught that Somnath was destroyed only for the loot. The cruel history of hatred, oppression and terror was hidden from us,” he said.
“No person truly faithful to their religion would support such fanaticism. Yet, the contractors of appeasement always bowed before this mindset,” Modi added, claiming that even after Independence, attempts were made to obstruct Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s vow to rebuild the Somnath temple.
Modi reached Somnath on a three-day visit to his home state on Saturday. After participating in the religious yatra and addressing a gathering, he performed puja at the temple.
Later in the day, he inaugurated the two-day Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference in Rajkot. At the event, Mukesh Ambani promised that the Reliance group would invest ₹7 lakh crore over the next five years in Gujarat. The Adani Group promised an investment of ₹1.5 lakh crore. Modi hailed his home state, stressing that Gujarat means both “development and heritage”.