Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke out against “forces of destruction and terror” in the world and said that they cannot crush faith.
Modi made the remarks in reference to the Somnath Temple in Gujarat, which is believed to have been plundered multiple times through history by foreign invaders.
“Somnath temple is an assurance to the world that destructive forces and those who follow the ideology that seeks to create empires based on terror can dominate for some time but their existence can never be permanent,” Modi said while inaugurating new projects at the temple, including an exhibition centre and a promenade.
The prime minister added: “They [destructive forces] cannot suppress humanity for too long. No matter how many times it was broken, Somnath Temple rose again.”
Modi’s comments, though not directly linked to the Taliban, came amid the hardline group’s takeover of Afghanistan.
The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan on Sunday, entering the presidential palace in capital Kabul and ending an insurgent offensive that ripped through the country in 10 days. The group made swift advances and captured key Afghan cities even as foreign troops prepared to withdraw from the country by the end of August.
The situation in the country has been volatile since then. Reports have emerged of people being shot dead in protests against the Taliban. Many are desperately trying to leave the country.
On Thursday, India’s Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar told the United Nations Security Council that the developments in Afghanistan had increased concerns about regional and international security. He also warned that the financial resource mobilisation of terror groups like the Islamic State had become stronger.
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