In Ayodhya, Eknath Shinde's ‘mandir wahin banayenge...' taunt on Opposition
Eknath Shinde said those who doubted the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya were shown their way home as the process has started.
Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde, who along with his deputy Devendra Fadnavis visited Ayodhya, on Sunday said those who doubted the construction of a Ram temple in the Uttar Pradesh town were shown their way home as the process has started and the work is in full swing.
On his first visit to Ayodhya as chief minister, Shinde lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray's dream come true beginning the construction of the Ram temple.
“Everyone would wonder when the construction work would start. Some used to say ‘mandir wahin banayenge, par tarikh nahi batayenge' (the temple will be built there, but the dates will not be told). But Prime Minister Narendra Modi has got the work started and the dream of crores of Ram bhakts is being fulfilled.... Those asking for the dates have also been shown their way home,” Shinde told reporters.
“After becoming the chief minister, I came here for the first time. With the blessings of Lord Ram, we got our symbol of bow and arrow and the name of our party... Ram Temple is not a political topic for us, it's our faith,” Shinde said after paying obeisance to Ramlalla and overseeing the construction work of the temple.
Shinde's supporters were seen carrying saffron flags with the Shiv Sena's election symbol.
At Hanumangarhi, the Maharashtra chief minister was given a mace by temple mahant Raju Das. Fadnavis and BJP MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh were also present on the occasion, news agency PTI reported.
Hitting out at former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde said he wants to tell those who used to say this is “ravan raaj” that this government has been made with the blessings of Lord Ram.
"They put (independent MP) Navneet Rana and her husband in jail for reciting the Hanuman Chalisa. When seers were killed, they kept silent. Now, there will be no atrocities on the poor and seers will be honoured and protected," Shinde said.
Shinde added that "we will take the soil from here to Amravati, where a 111-foot statue of Bajrangbali will be built".
Shinde had visited Ayodhya as a Sena leader on November 25, 2018, a year before the Supreme Court announced its verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute.
(With inputs from PTI)
