Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray offered prayers at the Ram Lalla temple in Ayodhya along with 18 newly-elected MPs of his party and said that his party strongly believes in the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Speaking to reporters after offering prayers at the makeshift temple, Thackeray said that he and his party workers came seek the blessings of Lord Ram before the start of the monsoon session of Parliament.
“From tomorrow Lok Sabha Session will begin so before entering the Parliament all Shiv Sena MPs have come here to take the blessings of Ram Lalla. We strongly believe that temple will be constructed at the earliest,” he said.
He also said that the reason why Shiv Sena did not contest elections outside of Maharashtra was because party founder Balasaheb Thackeray wanted all Hindus to remain united.
बालासाहब यहीं चाहते थे की सब हिन्दू एक हो जाये और हिंदुओंकी एकता कायम रहें, इसलिए हमने महाराष्ट्र के बाहर चुनाव नहीं लढा।
-शिवसेना पक्षप्रमुख मा. श्री. उद्धव साहब ठाकरे#ShivsenaInAyodhya pic.twitter.com/M41j7SYxTo— ShivSena – शिवसेना (@ShivSena) June 16, 2019
Thackeray reached Ayodhya on Sunday morning and paid obeisance at the temple after meeting his party’s MPs who have been camping in the town since Saturday.
He was accompanied by his son Aditya Thackeray and senior Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut.
Raut had on Saturday said that Thackeray is fulfilling the promise he made in November that he would visit again after elections.
The visit by the Sena chief is being seen as an attempt to put political pressure on the BJP over the Ram temple issue. Assembly elections in Maharashtra are due later this year.
Sena, however, maintained that Thackeray’s visit should not be seen through the electoral lens.
Before Thackeray’s visit, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the makeshift Ram temple and offered prayers on Friday.
Both Adityanath’s and Thackeray’s visits were their respective firsts since the end of the Lok Sabha elections 2019.
The title suit over the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site is being heard by the Supreme Court.