Janmabhoomi Nyas chief won’t be at Uddhav Thackeray meet

LUCKNOW/MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena has booked two trains – one from Mumbai and the other from Nasik -- to carry its activists to Ayodhya. However, Uddhav Thackeray will not hold a public rally there during his visit on November 24 and 25.

Significantly, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, president of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, has also denied reports that he will be part of a seers’ meeting with Uddhav in the temple town. Sena leader Sanjay Raut had said on Tuesday that Mahant Nritya Gopal Das would be present during Uddhav’s meeting on November 24.

The Sena might have initially planned a rally but has finally decided only on a ‘samvad’ (dialogue) with the people of Ayodhya and with mahants. The reason, according to a Sena leader, is that the party feels it is not likely to get permission from the BJP state government for a public meeting in view of Uddhav’s intended target of criticism -- the Modi government.

TOI had on Wednesday reported that Ayodhya’s authorities were yet to give the Sena permission for a rally. Sanjay Raut said on Wednesday, “We never had any plans to hold a public rally. We are only going to take ‘darshan’ of Ram Lalla, participate in a maha arti and meet locals.” But there are plans to seek permission for a ‘dialogue’ with the town’s residents and some mahants on the mandir issue.

The Sena’s two-day programme will be held at Laxman Kila temple, Faizabad ADM Vindhyavasini Rai confirmed to TOI. Earlier, the party had announced Uddhav would meet seers on November 24 and address a rally at Ram Katha Park the next day.

Yet a show of strength is on the cards. The Sena has spent around Rs71 lakh to book two trains. A railway official said, “We have received payment for trains booked by the Sena. The first will depart from LTT (Kurla) on Thursday at 1.30pm and the second from Nasik at 12.30am on Friday.” The full tariff train (FTRs) to leave from Mumbai has 24 coaches, and the one to depart from Nasik has 18.

These special trains ply along an operationally feasible route without affecting the timetable of regular trains. They take passengers from end to end and usually halt only at stations where organisers have planned to allow boarding for chosen passengers. Otherwise, halts are for operational reasons like changing of crew of locomotives.

Over 300 Sainiks from Mira-Bhayander will board the train at Thane. “Earlier, kar sevaks went to Ayodhya, now Shiv Sevaks will reach Ram janmabhoomi,” Sena legislator from Thane Pratap Sarnaik said. He added over 70% of the Sainiks going are north Indians.

Rahul Shewale, Sena MP from South-Central Mumbai, has booked 150 tickets for party office-bearers from his constituency. Meanwhile, Uddhav may visit Shivneri fort, birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, on Thursday to collect “holy soil” as a symbol for construction of the mandir. “Thackeray plans to go at 9am by helicopter, if it is made available,” a Sena leader said.