Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said forces that had opposed the post-Independence restoration of the Somnath temple were still active and mustbe 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. “From Ghazni to Aurangzeb, all religious fundamentalist thought that by their sword they had won Somnath,” Modi said. 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.

Source: The Telegraph January 12, 2026 01:44 UTC