No 'jumlas' in name of Lord Ram, Thackeray warns BJP

The Shiv Sena asked the BJP Monday to clear its stand on the Ram temple issue and demanded a discussion in Parliament even as it mounted an attack on senior ally-the BJP over a range of issues, including the Rafale jet deal.

Targeting the BJP, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said his party will not allow any 'jumlas' (rhetoric) in the name of Lord Ram or any other Hindu god and asserted those who were voted to power on the temple issue are now sleeping like Kumbhakarn.

Addressing a rally in this temple town in Solapur district, Thackeray, who visited Ayodhya last month, asked BJP allies to clear their stand on the Ram temple issue.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should discuss the matter in Parliament.

"I want to tell BJP one thing, we can forgive you on 'ache din' jumla and the promise of Rs 15 lakh to each person. But we will not forgive you if you come up with one more jumla on our faith or in the same of god. We will beat you up.

"We will not allow you to make any more false promises in the name of Ram or any other Hindu god," he said.

The Shiv Sena will expose such 'jumlas' in Maharashtra, Thackeray said.

The Sena chief demanded a discussion on the Ram temple and Hindutva issue in Parliament, saying this will reveal the stand of NDA partners and opposition parties.

Referring to recent seat-sharing pact finalised between the BJP, the JD (U) and the LJP in Bihar for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Thackeray said, "I congratulate BJP for joining hands with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had given a slogan of RSS-free Bharat."