After being refused permission by the Ayodhya district administration, Shiv Sena has become somewhat defensive on holding its proposed rally in the temple town on November 25. Instead Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will interact with locals at Laxman Qila.
Thackeray, along with his supporters, will be visiting Ayodhya for the first time on November 24 and stay there for a day. This visit coincides with VHP’s Dharma Sabha on November 25, ostensibly called to pressure the government to bring a legislation for the construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya.
But once the Ayodhya district administration denied permission to the Sena rally, contradictory statements started emanating from the Sena camp.
Sena MP Sanjay Raut, who has been camping at Ayodhya for the past couple of days, said on Thursday that the Sena did not seek any permission from the district administration to hold any rally to be addressed by party chief Uddhav Thackarey.
But UP Shiv Sena president Anil Singh said that first they sought permission for holding the rally at Ram Katha Park and later at Gulab Badi in Faizabad city, about 10 kilometres away from the disputed site, which the authorities denied citing law and order issues.
Raut also met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday to apprise him about problems faced by Shiv Sainiks in getting permission from Ayodhya authorities, which ultimately was refused.
Shiv Sena leaders disclosed that Thackeray would reach Ayodhya by a special flight from Mumbai on November 24 afternoon and, thereafter, hold a meeting with sadhus and saints. In the evening, he will participate in an ‘aarti’ on the banks of Saryu river and on November 25, the Sena chief will worship at the makeshift temple of Ram Lalla in the morning. Later, in the day, Thackeray will meet locals at Laxman Qila and, thereafter, leave for Mumbai from Ayodhya by a special flight.
Sources said that the Sena chief would be bringing soil from the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji at Shivneri fort in Maharashtra and place it for the construction of Ram temple.
Shiv Sena leaders also claimed that two special trains from Maharashtra had been booked to ferry Shiv Sainiks to Ayodhya. While one train will reach Ayodhya on Friday, the other on Saturday morning.
Shiv Sena was the first political party to claim responsibility for the demolition of Babri mosque on December 6,1992.