Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Keshav Prasad Maurya today denied the role of Shiva Sena in the Ram Temple Movement. The statement of Maurya comes a day after Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray along with scores of Shiv sainiks reached Ayodhya to build pressure on the BJP to pass an ordinance for the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
“There is no problem in Uddhav Thackeray catching a glimpse of Ram Lalla… But, had Balasaheb Thackeray been alive, he would have prevented Uddhav from doing whatever he is doing,” Maurya remarked.
“The Shiv Sena had no role in the temple movement or even in the Dharam Sabha, though Balasaheb Thackeray would support the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP),” he added. The Deputy Chief Minister, who was part of the VHP during the Ram Mandir movement, suggested that Uddhav Thackeray should take the Vishva Hindu Parishad along with his party instead of creating a divide. Another BJP MLA Surender Singh also criticised the Shiv Sena for hijacking the Ram Temple issue.
How can Shiv Sena hijack the #RamMandir issue? The people who thrash north Indians and drive them out, who don’t even have the mentality to serve humanity, how will they serve lord Ram? : BJP MLA Surendra Singh pic.twitter.com/0eWDqUbm4k
— ANI (@ANI) November 25, 2018
Maurya also attacked Akhilesh Yadav who had asked for the deployment of Army in Ayodhya for the Dharm Sabha of the VHP and termed the remarks as Samajwadi party’s frustration. “If Akhilesh Yadav is thinking that a 1990-like situation will prevail, then this will not happen under the government headed by Yogi Adityanath. We will provide adequate security to all and take necessary action. This is a Dharam Sabha, and there is no need to deploy the Army, and Akhilesh Yadav must understand this,” he said.
Clarifying the position of the BJP on the Ram Mandir issue, Maurya said, “The BJP supports the construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya, and it has assumed the shape of a national movement. For the BJP, Ram temple has never been an election issue, but has been a matter of faith and devotion. There is no point in deriving any electoral mileage from this issue”.
When asked about giving a date of the Ram Mandir construction, he replied, “Till the time the matter is pending in the Supreme Court, neither the BJP nor other organisations associated with the temple movement can tell the dates. This is the job of the VHP, the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas and the seers. The BJP will lend its moral support to this movement”.
