Ayodhya Ram temple inauguration: Sad that our party chief got invited through speed post, says Shiv Sena (UBT) leader

Uddhav Thackeray. File Pic

After Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray received an invitation for the Ayodhya Ram temple inauguration on Saturday, the party's spokesperson Anand Dubey said that it is very sad that their party chief was invited at the last moment through speed post, reported news agency ANI.

"...Our party chief received an invitation for the Ayodhya Ram temple inauguration through speed post at his office. We have seen that those who are being invited for the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha event are being personally invited by the leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad or RSS Swayamsevak. And our party chief is being invited through speed post at the last moment, 48 hours before the event. This is very sad," said Anand Dubey while speaking to ANI on Saturday.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should not have invited them if they had not intended to. He added that the party already has a puja program scheduled on that day at Nashik, reported ANI.

"If you have not intended to invite us you should not have done so. But why this betrayal? Everyone knows that we have a program at Nashik at Panchvati. Puja will be offered to Ram Lalla and there will be an aarti by the Godavari. When all of these are fixed why are you inviting us?" Dubey said.

He said that had the party received the invitation 10-15 days in advance, it would have gone to Ayodhya with their group. He even added that the BJP is inviting them at the last moment only to get rid of their guilt of not inviting them (Thackeray), reported ANI.

"If you had invited us 10-15 days in advance, we would have gone there with our group. Our workers would have reached out to welcome their leader. Now that only a few hours are left for the event, you are inviting us so that you can be freed of the guilt of not inviting the Thackerays," Dubey said.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said that the BJP has betrayed them as well as Balasaheb Thackeray, reported ANI.

"You have betrayed us and Balasaheb Thackeray. After this Bharatiya Janata Party has no right to take the name of Balasaheb Thackeray. Indians will never forgive the Bharatiya Janata Party and those supporters who are playing this game with them," Dubey said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray received an invitation for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla at Ram Temple in Ayodhya through speed post on Saturday.

(With inputs from ANI)