Shiv Sena's Ayodhya Invite To Rahul Gandhi: Congress Responds

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut told media persons on Wednesday that Maharashtra chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray would visit Ayodhya, Lord Rama's birthplace, on completion of 100 days in office. Raut invited Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to accompany him.

The Sena MP invited all alliance partners to join the Uddhav Thackeray on the visit.

Congress chief in Maharashtra, Balasaheb Thorat responded to Shiv Sena's invite to the Congress by saying that his party also believed in Lord Rama. Sharad Pawar's NCP, Sena's ally in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) also sought to downplay the Sena MP's invitation and said that it was a matter of faith.

Uddhav Thackeray's proposed visit to Ayodhya is being seen as a mild shift towards the hard Hindutva alliance which Shiv Sena is known for. Lately, it had come under attack from its former ally BJP, for diluting its principles and ideology on its count.

More recently, a controversial video clip of senior Maharashtra minister Ashok Chavan, went viral causing embarrassment to the Congress. In it he is seen saying that the Congress, formed an alliance with the Shiv Sena only after the party got the go-ahead of the Muslim community to keep the BJP away.

Ashok Chavan's statement gave the BJP an opportunity to hit out at Shiv Sena. However, all members of the MVA downplayed the Congress leader's remark.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) headed by Raj Thackeray has been trying to find political space in the voter base of the Shiv Sena. MNS presumably feels that the hardcore Shiv Sena voter feels let down by the party which shares power with Congress and NCP.

Significantly, MNS decided to celebrate Bala Saheb Thackeray's birth anniversary on Thursday, by highlighting Veer Savarkar along with other important leaders.