Amit Shah offers prayers at Somnath temple in Gujarat

Junagadh, Dec 2 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday offered prayers at the famous Somnath temple in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district.

He also participated in a programme organised to commemorate late Gujarat minister Divyakant Nanavati here.

“Somnath Sharanam Prapadye. Shri Somnath Temple is a living symbol of imperishable eternal culture. Today, after seeing and worshiping the first Jyotirling Shri Somnath Mahadev, prayed for the welfare of everyone. May Mahadev shower his blessings on everyone,” Shah said on social media platform X.

Shah then spoke at the function organised here to mark Nanavati’s birth centenary, where he also unveiled a compilation of articles on him.

Shah lauded Nanavati for his contribution to Junagadh as a councillor and president of the local civic body in the 1950s, and also as an elected member of the legislative assembly from Junagadh twice – first in 1962 and then in 1972.

Late Nanavati was a Congress MLA, who went on to become cabinet minister of law, municipalities, town planning and urban development in the Chimanbhai Patel-led government.
“One recalls a man when his life is meaningful. He (Nanavati) did a lot of work as the then president of Junagadh municipality,” Shah said, and described how he worked for the beautification of Willingdon dam, invited former prime minister Morarji Desai to unveil the statue of Sardar Patel, set up street lights and made roads pucca.

Nanavati became an MLA and served as law minister. He made several contributions to not just Junagadh but also Gujarat, the Union minister said.

Shah also mentioned his son and senior high court lawyer, advocate Nirupam Nanavaty who also served as Shah’s lawyer when he was jailed in a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case.

“Congress party sent me to jail in a CBI case. For me, it was naturally a difficult period. I was a minister of jail five minutes before I was put into jail. God would never have given such a great fortune to bring any man down to earth,” Shah said, recalling the 2010 incident when he was arrested by the probe agency in Sohrabuddin Sheikh alleged fake encounter case.

He said that the high court lawyer Nanavaty, despite his association with the Congress party, stood by his side and helped him win the case.

Shah recalled that like a few others, he was sceptical about roping in Nanavaty as his lawyer, but he took his case and fought and helped him win.