Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. (File)A nine-day event, ‘Shri Ram Katha’, has been organised by the Shiv Sena to “raise awareness” on the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Sena leaders said the event, that started on December 11 in Madhav Baug at C P Tank and at Banganga cross-lane in Walkeshwar, was a way to keep the pressure on their ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party, on the issue of the Ram temple. The party is organising a series of such religious events across the city.
Pandurang Sakpal, the Shiv Sena’s divisional head in South Mumbai, said the Sena wanted to take the issue to the people. “We will not leave the issue midway and will continue to highlight the fact that the Ram temple construction has been delayed and should have been built by now,” he added.
Rajendra Raut, divisional head of the Shiv Sena in Ghatkopar, said, “We organised a religious event for 30 days and special awareness on the Ram temple was part of it. Besides, we have planned another religious event in January.”
Another Sena leader said this was an attempt to hold on to the Hindutva agenda. “It will show that the BJP only talks about Hindutva, but does nothing for the Ram temple construction. We will continue to take up the issue in the run-up to the polls next year,” added the leader.
In an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana, the Shiv Sena has slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for the debacle in assembly polls in five states, results of which were declared on December 11. The party said the losses were a result of “injustice and falsehood”. “Our culture is to accept a loss and win with humility, but this culture has been destroyed after the Lok Sabha polls of 2014,” stated the Sena.
