Forces that opposed Somnath temple reconstruction still active, need to defeat them: PM Modi

Somnath (Gujarat): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the forces that had opposed the reconstruction of the Somnath temple in Gujarat after independence are still active, and India needs to remain alert, united and powerful to defeat them.

The history of Somnath is not that of destruction and defeat but of victory and renewal. This is the cycle of time that fundamentalist invaders are now reduced to pages of history, but the Somnath temple still stands tall, he said.

Modi was speaking at Somnath Swabhiman Parv held here to mark 1,000 years since Mahmud of Ghazni's invasion of the Somnath temple in the year 1026.

Despite multiple repeated attempts for its destruction over centuries, the Somnath temple stands today as a powerful symbol of resilience, faith and national pride, owing to the collective resolve and efforts to restore it to its ancient glory.

Modi said, "The true history of hatred, atrocity and terror was concealed from us and we were taught that the attack was an attempt to loot the temple." After independence, when Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel took the oath of rebuilding the Somnath temple, his path was obstructed, he said.

"Those involved in appeasement knelt before such people with extremist mindset, those forces are still present between us who tried to obstruct the rebuilding of the Somnath temple. We need to remain alert, united and powerful to defeat such forces," Modi said.

"Somnath's tale is the story of India; foreign invaders tried to destroy India many times, like this temple. The invaders thought that they had won by destroying the temple, but after 1,000 years, the flag of Somnath is still flying high," Modi said.

This struggle of 1,000 years has no parallel in world history, he noted.