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Somnath Temple History Debate: BJP, Congress Clash Over Nehru’s Role in the History of Somnath

A heated debate unfolds over the history of the Somnath Temple, sparked by the Prime Minister's recent comments. BJP National Spokesperson, Sanju Verma, argues that Jawaharlal Nehru showed 'deep contempt, Nehru showed disdain for Hinduism', citing a 1951 letter to Dr. Rajendra Prasad regarding the temple's inauguration. Countering this, Congress National Spokesperson, Dishant Rawal, defends Nehru's secular approach during a sensitive post-partition era and claims it was Mahatma Gandhi who advised against using government funds for the temple's reconstruction. Adding a scholarly perspective, historian Dr. Ravi Bhatt suggests that Indian history as taught in schools often focuses on disappointments and that there is 'plenty of room to refresh' the narrative by including multiple perspectives, including those of Persian historians, to create a more balanced view.