Somnath

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday invoked the 1998 Pokhran-II nuclear tests while asserting that no global power can force India to bow or yield under pressure, speaking at the Somnath Amrut Mahotsav in Somnath Temple.

Marking 75 years since the restoration and consecration of the temple, Modi said May 11 holds historic significance not only because of the 1951 inauguration of the rebuilt shrine, but also because India conducted its first nuclear tests on the same date in 1998 under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Referring to the international sanctions that followed the tests, Modi said India remained firm despite global pressure and even proceeded with two additional tests on May 13, 1998, demonstrating what he described as the country’s “unwavering political will.” He said the Vajpayee-led government had shown that “the nation comes first” and that “no power on earth can make India bow down or succumb to pressure.”

A thousand years ago, the first of many attacks on Somnath took place. Those who kept engaging in such attacks believed they could shatter the ethos of our land. But, they were wrong. Thanks to fiercely courageous children of Bharat Mata, Somnath kept getting rebuilt.… pic.twitter.com/dN6qGEN4c9

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 11, 2026

In his address, Modi also linked the rebuilding of Somnath Temple to India’s post-Independence national consciousness, calling its 1951 consecration a “proclamation of liberated consciousness.”

The prime minister criticised what he termed “appeasement politics,” alleging that similar opposition had surfaced during the reconstruction of Somnath after Independence and later during the construction of the Ram Mandir. He referenced Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Rajendra Prasad for their role in rebuilding Somnath, while claiming opposition from Jawaharlal Nehru.

Earlier in the day, Modi performed “Maha Pooja,” “Jalabhishek,” and “Kumbhabhishek” rituals at the temple, witnessed an aerial display by the Indian Air Force’s Suryakiran Aerobatic Team, and released a commemorative stamp and coin to mark the occasion.

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The Somnath Amrut Mahotsav commemorates 75 years since the restored temple’s inauguration in 1951 by President Rajendra Prasad.