"Will Lord Ram bless them?": Sanjay Raut on Eknath Shinde's Ayodhya visit

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut. File Pic

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday attacked Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, alleging that the latter went to Ayodhya when farmers were facing problems due to rain and hailstorm in the State.

Addressing mediapersons, Raut said, "We also believe in Lord Ram. We have also been to Ayodhya several times. But the BJP never followed us there. When the Babri incident happened, they ran away. Farmers in Maharashtra are saddled with problems due to rain and hailstorm but the government, ignoring all these issues, is visiting Ayodhya. Will Lord Ram bless them? They are copying us. Public knows who is original and who is duplicate."

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis arrived in Ayodhya on Sunday. Shinde was accompanied by Shiv Sena MPs and MLAs.

Shinde and Fadnavis received a warm welcome in Ayodhya.

"Lord Ram's blessings are with us and that is why we have got the symbol of bow and arrow," Shinde told reporters.

Also Read: Eknath Shinde Ayodhya visit: Hotels booked to capacity to accommodate thousands of Shiv Sainiks

This is Shinde's first visit to the temple town since being sworn in as Maharashtra chief minister in June last year.

Shinde and other Shiv Sena leaders flew down to Lucknow on Saturday.

Shinde was welcomed by his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath at the Lucknow airport, amid fanfare.

The Maharashtra CM will perform 'aarti' on the banks of the Saryu River. He will also visit the ongoing construction site of Ram Mandir.

"This is not a political visit. I keep visiting Ayodhya but this is the first time I have come here as the chief minister. All our party leaders wanted to take the blessings of Lord Ram. I want to thank Yogi-ji and his ministers who were here to welcome us," Shinde told ANI.

To welcome Shinde, the Shiv Sena put up big banners with his image, in Ayodhya.

Before leaving for Lucknow, CM Shinde said in a press conference, "We will be going to Ayodhya to seek Lord Ram's blessings on April 9. The call of faith and belief prompted us to undertake this visit. We will perform the Aarti. I still remember that Dharmveer Anand Dhigana (Anand Dighe, who the Maharashtra CM considers his mentor) had sent a Karsevak to Ayodhya with a silver brick. So, we have old bonding with Ram Lalla and will also visit the temple."

He said the Shiv Sena leaders wanted to go to Ayodhya after getting the Bow and Arrow symbol.

"We will participate in programmes that the seers have organised in Ayodhya. In a dig at his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde said, adding, "Earlier, seers were killed in Palghar, but now we will protect them."

The Palghar incident happened during the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government headed by Uddhav.

On February 17, the Election Commission ordered that the Eknath Shinde camp of the Shiv Sena will retain the official name and the bow and arrow symbol of the party.

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