LUCKNOW, April 20 -- Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday claimed that India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru opposed efforts to rebuild the Somnath temple in Gujarat but Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's firm resolve prevailed and the temple's reconstruction was completed.

Adityanath made these remarks at the inauguration of the "Somnath Swabhiman Yatra Uttar Pradesh" organised in Lucknow under the Somnath Swabhiman Parv. Flagging off the yatra, he described it as a symbol of India's faith, unity and cultural consciousness.

Referring to the historic revival of the Somnath Mandir, the chief minister remembered the contributions of Sardar Patel and the then President of India Dr Rajendra Prasad, stating that the same ca...