Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday lashed out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and demanded the date for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Thackeray, on his visit to the holy city, addressed various gatherings and asked the to finalise the date for construction of Ram Temple today itself, news agency ANI reported. Thackeray said "first tell us when will the construction of temple start, and then we can talk about the rest. I want the date today," the Shiv Sena chief added.
"Humein aaj mandir banne ki tareekh chahiye. Pehle mandir kab banaoge wo batao, baaki baatein to baad me hoti rahengi. Aaj mujhe tareekh chahiye," Thackeray said.
In a veiled attack on the BJP over the Ram temple issue, the Shiv Sena on Saturday also said those talking about it had kept Lord Ram in "exile" in Ayodhya, despite being in power at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh.
The Sena reiterated its demand that an ordinance be brought before 2019 for constructing the temple.
Without naming the BJP, the Shiv Sena likened it to 'Kumbhakarna', a character from the epic Ramayana mythicised for his long sleeping spells.
Thackeray is in Ayodhya to wake "Kumbhakarna" from his "deep slumber" to set the ball rolling for the temple's construction, the party said.
Thackeray arrived in the temple town in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday afternoon along with his family for a two-day visit.
The Shiv Sena, in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana', claimed that the sentiment among Hindus, now, was "first temple and then government".
"The promise of constructing the temple was given in each election; the temple, however, has not yet been created despite those talking about it being in power at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh. Lord Ram has gone into exile in Ayodhya itself," the editorial said.
"This is the biggest betrayal. Those who came to power being Ram devotees have turned in to Kumbhakarna," it said.
The Shiv Sena said the 'Mahabharat' involved five villages, but the 'Mahabharat' in Ayodhya was for constructing the temple.
"To realise the natural truth of (constructing) Ram temple on his birth land, we should fight to win," it said.
Referring to Thackeray's visit to Ayodhya, the party added, "Maharashtra has been a born fighter. Maharashtra has built Ram Setu (bridge) to Ayodhya. We are heading to Ayodhya using this Setu."
