Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the Somnath Amrut Mahotsav in Gujarat’s Veraval, declared that no global power can compel India to bow down or abandon its nuclear ambitions.

Drawing a direct parallel to the Pokhran nuclear tests of 1998, he emphasised that India’s resolve remains unshaken despite external pressures.

The event marked 75 years since the inauguration of the restored Somnath Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, and Modi used the occasion to highlight themes of national pride, resilience, and cultural continuity.

Modi criticised domestic “forces” that he said prioritise appeasement politics over national self-respect, noting that similar opposition was witnessed during the construction of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir.

He urged citizens in Vadodara to reduce imports in order to conserve foreign currency, linking economic self-reliance to national strength. As part of the Mahotsav, Modi performed rituals at the Somnath Temple, including a “Maha Pooja” and the pouring of holy water on the Shiv Ling amid Vedic chants. 

He also participated in the “Kumbhabhishek” ceremony, where sacred water collected from pilgrimage sites across India was sprinkled atop the temple’s towering spire using a crane. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi accompanied him, and the Prime Minister witnessed an Air Show by the Indian Air Force’s Surya Kiran aerobatic team over the temple.

In his address, Modi described the consecration of Somnath in 1951 as a proclamation of India’s liberated consciousness, asserting that the Amrut Mahotsav was not merely a commemoration but a festival of inspiration for the next thousand years.

He underscored the significance of 11 May, which marks both the consecration of Somnath and the nuclear tests of 1998 under Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. Modi recalled how Indian scientists demonstrated the nation’s capabilities, sending shock waves across the globe and provoking angry reactions from several countries.

He recounted how global powers attempted to isolate India through sanctions and economic pressure, blocking avenues to avert a potential crisis. Despite these challenges, India persevered, conducting two additional nuclear tests on 13 May 1998, which reinforced its determination to chart its own path.

Modi’s remarks were both a tribute to India’s scientific community and a reaffirmation of his government’s stance that national security and sovereignty cannot be compromised. His speech blended religious symbolism with strategic messaging, positioning India’s nuclear achievements alongside its cultural and spiritual heritage.

By invoking the trials of 1998 and the resilience shown then, Modi sought to project continuity in India’s refusal to yield to external coercion, while simultaneously attacking political opponents whom he accused of undermining national pride.

Agencies