Ahmedabad, May 12 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the country must rise above "narrow political mindsets" to restore symbols of national pride, hitting out at past opposition to the reconstruction of the Somnath Temple in Gujarat and warned that similar forces were still active. He was addressing the Somnath Amrut Mahotsav, marking 75 years of the consecration of the reconstructed temple, carried out on May 11, 1951. "Even issues connected with national self-respect were politicised. Somnath itself is the biggest example. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Dr Rajendra Prasad made efforts for its reconstruction, but we all know how much opposition they had to face from (Jawaharlal) Nehru ji. I will not go into details today, but it was Sardar Saheb's willpower that despite such opposition, he did not waver. The temple was rebuilt and the country washed away a stain that had persisted for centuries," he said in his address. He extended the point to present times, cautioning against similar thinking. "Even on occasions like the construction of the Ram temple (in Ayodhya), we have seen how it was opposed. We must be wary of such a mindset. We must leave such narrow politics behind." The Prime Minister said the reconstruction of the temple after Independence reflected a choice of "national self-respect" over "appeasement". The PM arrived in Gujarat on Sunday night and travelled to Somnath on Monday morning as part of his two-day visit to the state. Ahead of the main programme, he held a roadshow in Prabhas Patan. At the temple complex, Modi performed rituals and also participated in Kumbhabhishek and Dhvajarohan ceremonies organised as part of the commemorative programme. Referring to the significance of the 1951 consecration, Modi said it marked a shift in India's post-Independence journey. "If India became free in 1947, then the consecration of Somnath in 1951 proclaimed India's independent consciousness. It showed that India was not only free but had begun moving towards reclaiming its ancient glory." He called the Somnath Amrit Mahotsav not just a celebration of the past but a festival of inspiration for India for the next thousand years. Modi said those who attacked Somnath saw it as a physical structure and that every time it was attacked, it was rebuilt. "They saw Somnath only as a physical structure and kept attacking it again and again. The temple was destroyed repeatedly, but it kept rising every time, because those who tried to break it did not understand the inner strength of our nation. We consider the physical body to be mortal, but we know that the soul within is indestructible," he further said. During his speech, Modi linked the date of the event with the anniversary of the Pokhran nuclear tests conducted on May 11, 1998. Referring to the tests, he said no force in the world could make India bow down. "Our scientists placed India's strength and capability before the world. A storm came. Various sanctions were imposed. But on May 13, two more nuclear tests were conducted. That showed the world how firm India's political will is," he said. Under then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, India did not bow to pressure, Modi said, adding that the tests, named Operation Shakti, reflected the tradition of worshipping Shakti alongside Shiva. Modi also released a commemorative Rs.75 coin marking 75 years since the inauguration of the reconstructed temple. According to official details, the coin carries an image of the Somnath temple and the inscription referring to "1000 years of India's unwavering faith and devotion". The Indian Air Force's Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team also conducted an air show over Somnath....