Shiv Sena pulls up BJP post Rajnath's remark on Ram Mandir

Says choosing development as poll plank in UP instead of Mandir is selfish, ignores sacrifice of several kar sevaks

The Shiv Sena on Saturday dubbed the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) remarks of contesting the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh on 'development plank and not on the issue of Ram temple construction' as selfish-politics, saying it is absolutely unjustified, as the saffron party is answerable to all kar sevaks who have lost their lives while attempting to build the temple in Ayodhya.

"The way the BJP has backed down from the Ram temple row is absolutely wrong. They won the elections over the debris of Babri Masjid and now they have chosen to leave the issue high and dry. They rose from a mere two seats to 181 seats in Parliament with the agenda of making the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. But from 2014, they have completely abandoned this issue," Shiv Sena leader Manisha Kayande told ANI.

"Many kar sevaks have lost their lives during the construction of the temple. Do their lives mean nothing to them?" asked Kayande.

Kayande further said leaving the issue like this is extremely selfish on part of the Modi Government.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has yesterday said that the BJP would fight next year's assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh on the issue of development and not on the issue of the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, citing that it as an important 'cultural issue' and not a political one.

"The Ram Mandir issue is not a political, but a cultural issue. The matter is also sub-judice. The matter is in the Supreme Court and we are only waiting for the judgment," Singh said.