No "Jumlas" In Name Of Lord Ram, Uddhav Thackeray Warns BJP

PANDHARPUR: The Shiv Sena asked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday to clear its stand on the Ram temple issue and demanded a discussion in Parliament even as it mounted attack on its senior ally over a range of issues, including the Rafale jet deal.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said his party will not allow any "jumlas" (rhetoric) in the name of Lord Ram or any other Hindu god.

Addressing a rally in Solapur district, Mr Thackeray, who visited Ayodhya last month, asked BJP allies to clear their stand on the Ram temple issue.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should discuss the matter in Parliament.

"I want to tell BJP one thing, we can forgive you on 'achhe din' jumla and the promise of Rs. 15 lakh to each person. But we will not forgive you if you come up with one more jumla on our faith or in the name of god... We will not allow you to make any more false promises in the name of Ram or any other Hindu god," he said.

The Shiv Sena will expose such "jumlas" in Maharashtra, Mr Thackeray added.

Referring to the recent seat-sharing pact finalised between the BJP, the JD(U) and the Lok Janshakti Party in Bihar for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Mr Thackeray said, "I congratulate BJP for joining hands with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had given a slogan of RSS-free Bharat."

"The way Shiv Sena has backed the Ram temple and Hindutva issue, I want Nitish Kumar and Ram Vilas Paswan (LJP chief) to show similar political will," Mr Thackeray said.

"I have taken up the issue (of Ram Temple) with a purpose just before the general elections and I am not afraid of any consequences," he added.

The Sena chief said it has been 30 years since the Babri Masjid was razed, but the Ayodhya matter is still in court.

"The accused people in the Soharabuddin fake encounter case were acquitted but the Ayodhya court case is still going on. You are getting verdicts in cases of your convenience while others are left hanging," he claimed.

He said the BJP not only demolished the structure (Babri Masjid), but the violence that erupted in the aftermath helped them get into power. "Now, you are sleeping like Kumbhakarn."

Speaking on the Centre's proposal of allowing agencies to intercept information from computers, he said some people are saying it dates back to the UPA regime. "If it is so, then why it is being discussed at all. Congress did it, hence it lost the election. Congress was dethroned from power because it tried to do something like this. If you are also going to do it, then you will also impose emergency," he said.

Mr Thackeray also raised the farmer crisis issue and the drought situation in Maharashtra.

"If farmers get angry, I am not going to waste my time negotiating seats with the BJP. I want farmers to get debt-free, I want the Ram temple to be built and beneficiaries should get due benefits of crop insurance scheme," he said.

He said he will personally visit arid regions of Maharashtra and talk to people affected by water scarcity.

Mr Thackeray has, however, indicated his unwillingness to enter into an alliance with the BJP for the upcoming polls.