Ahmedabad, Jan. 14 -- It is not so easy to erase India's Sanatan Dharma, its culture, and the faith of the Indian people, Union home minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday, citing the reconstruction of the Somnath temple in Gujarat despite being "destroyed 16 times".

"A thousand years ago, our magnificent Somnath temple was destroyed by Mahmud Ghazni. After that, it was repeatedly attacked by other invaders, such as Alauddin Khilji, Ahmed Shah, Mahmud Begada, and Aurangzeb. But the temple was rebuilt every time... The destroyers believed in destruction, and the builders believed in creation," Shah said while addressing a gathering at Mansa town in Gandhinagar district after inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for various projects of...