Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Monday said only Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath will be able to construct the Ram temple in Ayodhya and there must not be any further delay.

“People’s court (general election) has given a massive mandate to the Modi government to construct the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Now, in no other election, we will be able to seek votes on the issue of Ram Mandir,” said Raut at a press conference here.

Raut was in Lucknow to meet Adityanath to apprise him about the proposed one-day visit of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and 18 party MPs to Ayodhya on June 16 to offer prayers at the makeshift Ram temple. Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray will accompany his father.

“Only PM Modi and CM Yogi Adityanath will be able to construct Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. We are confident that construction work will start soon,” Raut said.

He added the BJP and the NDA’s victory was only possible due to Lord Ram’s blessings.

On the Shiv Sena’s demand for the deputy speaker’s post in Lok Sabha, Raut said: “This is not our demand, but it is our natural claim. After the BJP, the Shiv Sena is the biggest party in the NDA.”

The Shiv Sena won 18 seats in Maharashtra in the recently concluded Lok Sabha election.

The June 16 visit will be Thackeray’s second one to Ayodhya. He was in Ayodhya on November 24 last along with his family and a large number of party leaders and workers. They had attended ‘Ashirwad Sammelan’ at the Lakshman Quila ground organised by the Shiv Sena.

STATE GUEST STATUS FOR UDDHAV, 18 PARTY MPS

The Yogi Adityanath government has accorded the status of state guest to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and 18 party MPs who will offer prayers at the makeshift Ram temple in Ayodhya on June 16, Shiv Sena leaders said.

The Shiv Sena MPs will reach Lucknow on June 15 and proceed to Ayodhya by road the next day. Thackeray is likely to reach Ayodhya by a chartered plane on June 1

First Published: Jun 11, 2019 12:09 IST