In a veiled attack on the BJP over the Ram temple issue, the Shiv Sena on Saturday said those talking about it had kept Lord Ram in "exile" in Ayodhya, despite being in power at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh.
The Sena reiterated its demand that an ordinance be brought before 2019 for constructing the temple.
“Day, months, years and generations have passed,” he said. “Mandir wahin baneyenge, par date nahin batayenge (You say you will make the temple there, but won’t tell the date),” he said.
“First say when will you construct the temple, the rest we will talk later,” he said in what sounded like a dare to the Bharatiya Janata Party government ahead of next year's Lok Sabha elections.
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Without naming the BJP, the Shiv Sena likened it to 'Kumbhakarna', a character from the epic Ramayana mythicised for his long sleeping spells.
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray is in Ayodhya to wake "Kumbhakarna" from his "deep slumber" to set the ball rolling for the temple's construction, the party said.
Thackeray arrived in the temple town in Uttar Pradesh Saturday afternoon along with his family for a two-day visit.
The Shiv Sena, in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana', claimed that the sentiment among Hindus, now, was "first temple and then government".
"The promise of constructing the temple was given in each election; the temple, however, has not yet been created despite those talking about it being in power at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh. Lord Ram has gone into exile in Ayodhya itself," the editorial said.
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"This is the biggest betrayal. Those who came to power being Ram devotees have turned in to Kumbhakarna," it said.
The Shiv Sena said the 'Mahabharat' involved five villages, but the 'Mahabharat' in Ayodhya was for constructing the temple.
"To realise the natural truth of (constructing) Ram temple on his birth land, we should fight to win," it said.
Referring to Thackeray's visit to Ayodhya, the party added, "Maharashtra has been a born fighter. Maharashtra has built Ram Setu (bridge) to Ayodhya. We are heading to Ayodhya using this Setu."
(PTI)
