Rahul offers prayer at Somnath temple, PM takes dig

Somnath: Just 10 days ahead of the assembly elections, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday offered prayers at Somnath Temple here and sought blessings for the party’s prospects in Gujarat.

The Congress will now head to the districts of Visavadar, Savar Kundla and Amreli, where he will participate in the roadshow, corner meetings and public gatherings.

(Click on next page to see how PM modi takes a dig on Rahul's somnath visit)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday took a potshot at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for visiting the historic Somnath Temple and wanted to know whether he was aware that country's first Prime Minister Pt Jawaharlal Nehru had expressed his unhappiness over the then President Dr Rajendra Prasad inaugurating the temple.

"Aaaj Somnath dada yaad achhey (Today you are remembering Somnath Dada)," Mr Modi said at an election rally in reference to Mr Gandhi's visit to the temple.
"Are you aware of the history? Your Grandmother's father Pt Nehru was not happy with the reconstruction of Somnath temple?" he asked.

Mr Modi's reference is seen as politically significant as people have huge respect for the historic Somnath temple.The historic Somnath Temple is located hardly 23 km away from Prachi.