Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday drew parallels between the 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests and India’s present-day resolve, asserting that no power in the world can force the country to bow under pressure.
Addressing a gathering at the Somnath Amrut Mahotsav, commemorating 75 years of the inauguration of the restored Somnath Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, PM Modi said the occasion symbolised India’s cultural resurgence and national self-confidence.
“While India attained Independence in 1947, the pran pratishtha of Somnath in 1951 marked the proclamation of India’s liberated consciousness,” the PM said.
Highlighting the significance of May 11, PM Modi noted that the date marks both the consecration of the Somnath temple and India’s nuclear tests conducted in 1998 under then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.