After Congress no to temple invite, Uddhav Sena reiterates plan: will spend Jan 22 at a Ram exile site in Nashik

A senior Sena (UBT) leader told The Indian Express: “Our decision has already been taken…Our leader will perform an aarti on the banks of Nashik’s Godavari river and visit the Kalaram mandir. On January 23, the birth anniversary of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, the Shiv Sena (UBT) will organise a camp in Nashik and hold a rally in the evening.”

On January 6, speaking to the media after paying tributes to his mother Meena Thackeray in Mumbai’s Shivaji Park area, Uddhav had first said he would be going to the Kalaram temple on January 22.

“It is a moment of joy as Ram temple is being consecrated on January 22 in Ayodhya after a struggle of over 25-30 years. Hence, on the same day, we will take darshan of Lord Ram at the Kalaram temple in Nashik. This is the same temple for which Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Sane Guruji had to struggle to allow entry (for Dalits) into the temple, saying Ram belongs to everyone,” Uddhav had said.

Uddhav had also said that he “did not want to get into who has been invited and not or who is going or not going for Ram temple consecration” because “it is a matter of pride and faith”.

“We are glad about the Ram Mandir but I have been requesting for several days that it should remain a matter of faith and not take a political colour. We will go to Ayodhya whenever we wish to,” Uddhav added.

Among INDIA partners, the CPI(M) on December 24, 2023, was the first to declare that its general secretary Sitaram Yechury, who received an invitation from the Trust, would not attend the event.

The Congress announced its decision to stay away on Wednesday and other Opposition parties in the INDIA group such as the Trinamool Congress and RJD also indicated they might keep off.

While declining the invite, the Congress argued that “religion is a personal matter” but that the Ram Temple was a political project of the BJP and the RSS, which was being turned into a Sangh event on the eve of the Lok Sabha elections.

On Tuesday, Mamata had criticised the BJP for building up the Ram Mandir inauguration as a “gimmick” ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

RJD national spokesperson Subodh Kumar Mehta said: “We endorse the Congress line, which is in consonance with what we have been saying all along.”

The Aam Aadmi Party was non-committal on whether it would attend or not, while saying that its national convener Arvind Kejriwal was yet to receive the invitation.