On Sunday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will travel to Ayodhya with Shiv Sena MPs and MLAs.
Shinde is visiting the temple town for the first time since being sworn in as Maharashtra chief minister in June of last year. On Sunday, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also left Mumbai for Ayodhya. On Saturday, Shinde and other Shiv Sena leaders flew to Lucknow. Shinde was greeted by his Uttar Pradesh counterpart, Yogi Adityanath, at the Lucknow airport.
On the banks of the Saryu River, the Maharashtra Chief Minister will perform aarti. He will also go to the Ram Mandir construction site. The Shiv Sena put up large banners with Shinde’s image in Ayodhya to welcome him.
In a press conference before departing for Lucknow, CM Shinde stated, “On April 9, we will travel to Ayodhya to seek Lord Ram’s blessings. This visit was motivated by the call of faith and belief. The Aarti will be performed by us. I recall Dharmveer Anand Dhigana (Anand Dighe, whom the Maharashtra Chief Minister regards as his mentor) dispatching a Karsevak to Ayodhya with a silver brick. So we have a long history with Ram Lalla and will be visiting the temple as well.” He stated that Shiv Sena leaders desired to visit Ayodhya after obtaining the Bow and Arrow symbol.
“We will participate in programmes organised by the seers in Ayodhya.”
Shinde said, in a dig at his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray, “Previously, seers were killed in Palghar, but now we will protect them.”
The Palghar incident occurred during Uddhav’s previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.