Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut took a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the politicisation of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Raut's comments were ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to the Uttar Pradesh town and sarcastically suggested that the BJP might even announce Lord Ram as their candidate for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“Now, the only thing left is that the BJP will announce that Lord Ram will be their candidate for the elections. So much politics is being done in the name of Lord Ram,” Raut said.
In response to the BJP's involvement in the inauguration of the Ram Temple on January 22, Raut labeled it as a "BJP event" rather than a national one. He expressed skepticism about the purity of the BJP's efforts, criticizing the party's rallies and extensive campaigning for the temple's consecration.
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Addressing inquiries about Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's participation in the idol consecration ceremony, Raut stated that Thackeray would attend but only after the conclusion of the BJP's event. He questioned the necessity of attending a BJP function, and said that it does not qualify as a national event.
“Thackeray will definitely go but only after the BJP's event gets over. Why should one go to a BJP event? It is not a national event. The BJP is holding rallies and campaigning a lot for this function but where is the purity in it,” he said.
Prime Minister Modi is set to inaugurate projects worth Rs 15,000 crore in Ayodhya, including a new airport and a revamped railway station, ahead of the temple's consecration ceremony. The airport, designed to mirror temple architecture, anticipates a surge in tourism to Ayodhya.