Sena raising Ayodhya issue to divert people's attention from development agenda: LJP

Attacking the Shiv Sena, the LJP Monday said it was raising the Ram temple issue to "divert" people's attention from the government's development agenda and that the "so called Hindu party" otherwise insults north Indians arriving in Mumbai from the Lord Ram's region.

The salvo from Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Chirag Paswan came a day after Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said how can the BJP build Ram temple in Ayodhya when its allies like the LJP and JD(U) are opposing it.

The Sena is also a BJP ally but has long been taking swipes at it over a host of issues.

The LJP and the Bihar chief minister-led JD(U) have opposed demands of Hindutva organisations, including Sena, that the Narendra Modi government bring a law to construct the temple in Ayodhya.

Though the BJP has asserted that it wants the temple be built at the earliest, but has indicated that it would wait for the Supreme Court's decision on the matter.

"The Shiv Sena, which practices the so called Hindutva politics in the NDA, and always targets north Indians is busy diverting the country's attention from development works. It is remembers Ayodhya after the passage of four years and nine months (of government) and raising fingers at the LJP and JD(U)," Paswan tweeted.

This so called Hindu party insults north Indians arriving in Mumbai from the region of Lord Ram and is then more concerned about Marathi vote bank than Lord Ram, he alleged.

In the kingdom of Lord Ram there was no regionalism and caste differences, Paswan said, adding the Shiv Sena should take inspiration from these ideals.

In a dig at the BJP, Thackeray had said his party is raising the Ram temple issue before the polls to "expose" those who used the issue as a poll plank.