Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sudhanshu Trivedi has stirred controversy by accusing India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, of hindering the reconstruction of the historic Somnath temple. Trivedi shared letters where Nehru allegedly discouraged dignitaries from attending the temple’s inauguration and obstructed the use of water from the Indus River for the consecration ceremony.
Trivedi claimed that Nehru not only opposed the temple’s reconstruction but also downplayed the President’s involvement in the event. He cited letters instructing Indian embassies to refrain from assisting the Somnath Trust and minimize the impact of the President’s visit. Additionally, Nehru allegedly sought reduced media coverage of the temple’s consecration, deeming it “ostentatious.”
The MP further alleged that Nehru’s foreign policy appeasement led him to deny the return of the gates of the Somnath temple from Afghanistan. These revelations are expected to reignite debates on Nehru’s secular vision, state interference in religious matters, and the historical significance of the Somnath Temple’s reconstruction post-Independence.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had previously highlighted Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s pivotal role in rebuilding the Somnath temple and criticized Nehru’s indifference towards its opening in 1951. Modi emphasized that while Nehru disapproved of the event, President Dr. Rajendra Prasad’s support ensured its success.
