At Somnath event, PM Modi says Pokhran tests showed India’s political will: ‘No power can force us to bow down under pressure’

India conducted three nuclear bomb test explosions at the Indian Army’s Pokhran Test Range on May 11, 1998 and tested two more bombs two days later. These tests, codenamed Operation Shakti or strength, would display India’s capability to build fission and thermonuclear weapons with yields up to 200 kilotons, helping India enter the highly guarded club of countries with the capability to deploy nuclear weapons.

“At a time, anyone could have been shaken under an attack by the great powers of the world, but we are made of some other soil. After May 11, the world attacked us, but on May 13, two more nuclear tests were conducted, through which the world came to know about the unwavering political will of India under then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The BJP government shows that for us, India is first. No power in the world could suppress India or force the country to bow down under pressure,” he added.

Earlier in the day, as PM Modi extended his greetings on National Technology Day, observed to commemorate the successful nuclear test at Pokhran in 1998, he talked about the “hard work and dedication of our scientists”. “We recall with pride the hard work and dedication of our scientists, which led to the successful tests in Pokhran in 1998. That landmark moment reflected India’s scientific excellence and unwavering commitment,” he said in a post on X.

‘Powers that believe more in appeasement’

While recalling that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Dr Rajendra Prasad faced opposition from Jawaharlal Nehru over the reconstruction of Somnath Temple, PM Modi also said issues connected with national pride had often been politicised.

“After Independence, it was one of the first responsibilities to reconstruct Somnath. That is why Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Dr Rajendra Prasad tried hard for this. But we all know that they have to face so much opposition from Nehruji”.

“I will not go into the details today, but it was the determination of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel that, despite so much opposition, he did not waver. Somnath temple was reconstructed, and the country washed the centuries-old stigma,” Modi said.

The Prime Minister, who is also chairperson of the Sri Somnath Trust, said he felt blessed on the occasion.

“Unfortunately, powers that believe more in appeasement than national self-respect are dominant today. We have seen in the case of Ram Mandir, where there was opposition against its development. We have to stay alert to such a mindset. We have to leave behind such narrow-minded politics. We should move forward taking development and heritage together,” he added.

“Our cultural sites have been an identity of India for thousands of years. We have received such a rich heritage, yet look at the irony: for decades, we did not understand its importance. There are several examples worldwide of foreign invaders destroying sites associated with national identity. But when the citizens of that country got an opportunity, everyone came together and preserved the identity, adorned and reinstated. But here, politics is conducted over issues of national self-respect. Somnath itself is a big example of it,” he said.

The PM stated that he is reliving the very moment that India’s first President, Dr Rajendra Prasad, must have experienced during the inauguration of the rebuilt temple.

Accompanied by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, the Prime Minister held a nearly 1.5-km road show from the helipad to Veer Hamirji Circle near the Somnath temple as people welcomed him and waved flags and raised slogans as his convoy passed through the area.

As part of the celebrations, the Indian Air Force’s Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) performed an air show at the Somnath Temple. The display, held in the presence of PM Modi, featured the team’s Hawk Mk-132 aircraft in tight, colourful formations over the sacred coastline.