Reiterating his demand for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday asked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government not to play with the sentiments of the Hindus.
After offering prayer at Ram Lalla temple in Ayodhya earlier in the day, the Shiv Sena chief addressed the media and said, "If the matter has to be resolved by the Supreme Court, then it should not be made poll agenda during election campaigning. BJP should not play with the sentiments of the Hindus "
Thackeray further said that the BJP should tell the people that Ram temple issue is their 'chunavi jumla' (election gimmick).
The Sena chief, who arrived in Ayodhya on Saturday for a two-day visit, clarified that there is no hidden agenda behind his visit to the temple town and that he only wants the construction of the temple at the earliest.
In a veiled attack at the BJP, he said that some politicians chant "Ram-Ram" during the election campaign, but once the elections are over, they forget to fulfill their promises.
"Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath once said that the temple was there, is there and will continue to be there. We all believe in it, but it is sad that we are not able to see the temple. We want to know when we will be able to see it. It should be constructed as soon as possible," he added.
The Shiv Sena chief while addressing a public rally on Saturday asked the central government to announce the date for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Ayodhya is set to witness two separate mega events today being organised by the Shiv Sena and the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) to press for the construction of a Lord Ram temple. The VHP's event called as "Dharma Sansad" would be congregation of saints and supporters of the Ram temple.
Security has been beefed up, in the town ahead of the two events with thousands of police and paramilitary personnel keeping a strict watch to keep the situation under control.
On October 29, the Supreme Court had adjourned the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit till January 2019.
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