Shinde to visit Ayodhya on April 9 to perform aarti at Saryu River

Thane: Chief minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday announced that he will lead his party MPs, MLAs and other office-bearers to Ayodhya on April 9 and offer prayers at Saryu River and pay a visit to the under-construction Ram temple.

“We were scheduled to visit Ayodhya earlier, but some of my associates missed out on it. We also thought of going to Ayodhya after the Election Commission granted the “Bow and Arrow” symbol to us. But, now all MPS, MLAs, and other office-bearers will travel. We will perform the aarti at Saryu River, and also visit the site where Ram Lalla’s temple is being constructed,” said Shinde addressing a press conference at Anandashram headquarters of his Shiv Sena faction in Thane.

“We have never looked at Lord Ram as a matter of politics. It was Balasaheb Thackeray’s dream to see a grand Ram temple, and PM Modi is now completing the temple. As Maharashtra’s small contribution to the temple construction, we will supply teak wood for the construction of the temple and forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar is organising that,” said Shinde who spent a day in his home constituency to lead the Sarvarkar Gaurav Yatra.

“We have an old emotional bond with Ayodhya. When “Kar Seva” was being performed, my mentor, the late Anant Dighe, had sent silver bricks to Ayodhya,” he said.

Ayodhya visits are not new to Shinde, who had earlier handled the logistics of the trip when Aaditya Thackeray visited Ayodhya in June 2022. Two weeks after the trip, he had staged the revolt which led to the vertical split in the Shiv Sena.

Earlier in the day, Shinde participated in a rally of Savarkar Gaurav Yatra, amid slogans like “Veer Savarkar ka balidan, nahi bhulega Hindustan” (We will not forget the sacrifices of Veer Savarkar) “Savarkar Gaurav Yatra is underline that people should be proud of the great sacrifices he made towards Indian independence. Some people are intentionally insulting Savarkar. By doing that they are not only insulting Savarkar but all those who sacrificed their lives for our independence. The Gaurav Yatra is make people feel proud of Savarkar’s contributions, and give a message that we will no longer tolerate a single word of insult to Veer Savarkar,” said Shinde.

He said Balasaheb Thackeray also revered Veer Savarkar and had asked Shiv sainiks to start the “Jode Mara” andolan against Aiyar. Shiv Sena had organised several protests across the state hitting Aiyar’s effigies with footwear. Aiyar also faced strong protests whenever he visited Maharashtra.

“Now again insults are being hurled at Savarkar and some people have no shame in working in an alliance with such people,” Shinde said without naming Uddhav Thackeray. He said his party will stay true to Balasaheb’s ideals.