Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday criticised the “appeasement politics” during his address at the 'Somnath Amrut Mahotsav' in Gujarat, saying that India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, had opposed the reconstruction of the Somnath Temple after Independence.
Addressing a large public gathering after participating in religious ceremonies at the Somnath Temple, PM Modi said the reconstruction of the temple symbolised India’s “independent civilisational consciousness” following Independence. “The re-establishment of the Somnath temple 75 years ago on this very day was no ordinary occasion.
If India became independent in 1947, then the consecration of Somnath in 1951 proclaimed India’s independent civilisational consciousness," he said. The Prime Minister praised Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and India’s first President, Dr Rajendra Prasad, for supporting the reconstruction of the temple after Independence.
“At the time of Independence, Sardar Patel united more than 500 princely states to shape a modern India, and through the reconstruction of Somnath, he told the world that India had not merely become free.. India had also begun its journey to reclaim its ancient glory,” he said.
PM Modi said that Sardar Patel and Rajendra Prasad had faced opposition during the reconstruction effort. “After Independence, one of the first responsibilities was to restore the Somnath temple, and therefore Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Dr Rajendra Prasad made immense efforts for it.
But we all know how much opposition they faced from Nehru Ji,” he said. He further added, “I will not go into detail today, but it was Sardar Patel’s determination that, despite all opposition, he did not waver. The Somnath temple was rebuilt, and the country washed away centuries of humiliation.”
The Prime Minister also linked the issue to contemporary politics, saying “such forces still exist in the country today for whom appeasement matters more than national self-respect”. “We saw this during the construction of the Ram Temple as well, when opposition was raised even against it.
We must remain cautious of such thinking. We must move beyond such narrow politics. We have to move forward with both development and heritage together,” he said. During his speech, PM Modi described the Somnath Amrut Mahotsav as “not merely a celebration of the past” but “a festival of inspiration for India for the next thousand years”.
The Prime Minister also highlighted recent temple redevelopment projects undertaken across the country, including Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi, Mahakal Mahalok in Ujjain, the reconstruction of Kedarnath and the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. “Within just 10 to 12 years, we are able to witness those rich traditions once again,” he said.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi participated in the Kumbhabhishek ceremony at the Somnath Temple in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi. The celebrations marked 75 years since the reconstructed temple was inaugurated in 1951.