Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy has welcomed the Somnath Temple Trust's decision to allow non-Hindus inside its premises only after permission and suggested that people from other faiths should be allowed only after they admit to great respect for Lord Shiva.
"I welcome this decision. I will say that the people, who are not Hindus, should respect it. If they wish to enter, then they will have to simply say that they have faith in Lord Shiva and they have great respect for him," Swamy said.
"Only if they say these two things, then I am sure they should get entry," Swamy told reporters on Thursday after paying homage in the Somnath temple in Veraval taluka of Gir-Somnath district.
Later, Swamy tweeted that destruction of the sort which was perpetrated by an invader like Ghazni would not be allowed again.
"After seeing the photo library of the Somnath temple and the destruction which Ghazni left behind, I feel all Virat Hindus should take an oath: 'Never Again'," Swamy tweeted.
Somnath Temple Trust had decided against entry of non-Hindus without prior permission.
The Somnath Temple Trust is governed by a board of trustees headed by former Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior BJP leader L K Advani are among other trustees.
The present Somnath temple structure was built after Independence by India's first Union Home Minister Sardar Patel and was inaugurated by the first president Rajendra Prasad on May 11, 1951.
