Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over alleged misappropriation of donations collected for the Ayodhya Ram temple, warning that Hindus will not forgive anymore, as he announced a Maharashtra-wide ‘Ram Raksha’ movement to protest against ‘looting of sacrificial offerings’. He urged all Ram fans to join the movement regardless of party affiliations.
Thackeray and other Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders will visit the Hanuman temple in Mumbai’s Dadar West area on Sunday evening to launch the movement. “We will gather at the temple and recite Ram Raksha Stotra, Maruti Stotra and Hanuman Chalisa. All Ram Bhaktis [devotees] Angry over the looting in the name of Ram temple they should take part in it.” He asked BJP leaders and workers to join them.
Thackeray said that protests will be organized across Maharashtra at Ram and Hanuman temples. “Our first fight is against looting of Ram temple donations across the state. I will talk about other issues next week. I will also visit Ayodhya,” Thackeray said.
When asked whether he would invite Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray or Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to protest on Sunday, Uddhav Thackeray said he would urge all Hindus, regardless of their political affiliation, to join the protests against corruption in the Ram temple donation.
A dispute broke out between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena (UBT) over the defection of the latter’s six parliamentarians to the Shiv Sena, a component of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The Shiv Sena (UBT) has linked such defections to the BJP’s efforts to boost the NDA government’s numbers to push ahead with the demarcation bill.
