Ram Temple issue not political, says Devendra Fadnavis

Mumbai: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said that the Ram Temple issue is not a political one but a matter of faith and emotions for every Hindu. He also expressed hopes that Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, who visited Ayodhya recently, would get blessings of Lord Ram.

Mr Fadnavis also said that the Shiv Sena would remain in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party during the coming general elections.

“The construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya is not a political issue. Shri Ram is the deity of all of India. Mr Thackeray will get his blessings too,” Mr Fadnavis told reporters at Karad in Maharasht-ra’s Satara district. Mr Fadnavis was reacting to Mr Thackeray’s demands that the government declare the date of construction of the Ram Temple and introduce an ordinance for it immediately.

Mr Fadnavis was speaking after paying tribute at the memorial of the late Y.B. Chavan, the state’s first chief minister. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar also paid tribute to Chavan in Karad along with senior leaders of the party from the region.

Meanwhile, Mahara-shtra Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Raosaheb Danve said the Shiv Sena’s stand on the construction of Ram temple supports the BJP and asserted that both the parties will jointly contest the next year’s state and general polls.

“It is not like the Sena has backed the Bhar-atiya Janata Party recently; we have been together for decades,” Mr Danve told mediapersons in Jalna, his home district.

Maharashtra BJP chief added, “The dispute related to the temple or mosque is in the court. Hence, despite being in power there are limitations to what a government can do.”