Not easy to wipe out India's Sanatan Dharma and culture, says Amit Shah

Ahmedabad, January 13: Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted on Tuesday that it is not easy to erase India's Sanatan Dharma, culture, and the faith of its people, citing the reconstruction of the Somnath Temple despite repeated attempts at its destruction. Speaking at an event in Mansa in Gandhinagar district after inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for various projects worth Rs 267 crore, Shah remarked that while those who attacked the temple eventually perished, the structure continues to stand proudly at the same spot on the coast of Gir Somnath district.

The Home Minister highlighted that despite being destroyed 16 times over a period of 1,000 years, starting with the attack by Mahmud Ghazni, the Somnath Temple remains standing with its flag waving high in the sky. As per agency report, Shah stated that a grand Somnath corridor is also currently under construction. He emphasized that the resilience of the temple sends a message to the entire world that Indian culture and faith are as eternal and immortal as the sun and the moon. He described the temple as a symbol of India's faith, belief, and pride.

Reference was made to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent inauguration of the Somnath Swabhiman Parv on January 11. Shah announced that this festival will be celebrated for an entire year, featuring programs across the country aimed at shaking the soul of India, awakening its consciousness, and strengthening the roots of Sanatan Dharma to the deepest levels of society. He recalled how the temple was demolished by invaders including Alauddin Khilji, Ahmed Shah, Mahmud Begada, and Aurangzeb, yet it was rebuilt every single time.

The senior BJP leader drew a distinction between the mindset of the invaders and the builders, noting that while the destructors believed in ruin, the creators had faith in creation. He observed that a thousand years later, those destructors have faded from history, but the Somnath Temple still stands with pride facing the ocean. Shah credited the post-independence reconstruction of the temple to the efforts of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, KM Munshi, the Maharaja of Jamnagar, and the country's first President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad. He concluded that their resolve stemmed from the belief that the assault on Somnath was an attack on the nation's self-respect and faith, and the answer lay not in another attack, but in protecting that self-respect.