Pratap Sarnaik wrote to trust after Sena MP Sanjay Raut said Thackeray did not need invitation
Uddhav Thackeray
Thane MLA Pratap Sarnaik on Monday wrote to the Ram Mandir Trust that Thackeray be invited formally to the groundbreaking ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on August 5 where PM Narendra Modi will also be present. The move came hours after Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said that CM Uddhav Thackeray didn''t need an invitation to go to Ayodhya because his party had paved the way for the mandir.
Sarnaik shared the letter with media persons on Monday. He said he has written to the chief trustee of Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra requesting him to invite the Sena president.
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"Though the ceremony will be small in the backdrop of the pandemic and attended by the PM, it will be appropriate to have Mr Thackeray there because his father Balasaheb Thackeray had inspired Shiv Sena workers to be on the forefront when a series of agitations were held to have the mandir built (on the disputed site which has been cleared by the Supreme Court for construction)," he said in the letter.
He said that the Maharashtra CM had also been demanding to know the deadline for starting the mandir construction and visited Ayodhya.
"Mr Thackeray has said he didn''t want credit for the success of the struggle. He raised the issue when others chose to not speak about it," said Sarnaik, adding that the CM had also contributed R1 crore to the temple building fund.
"Considering the sentiment of Ram bhakta and Shiv sainiks, I request you to invite Mr Thackeray to the ceremony. Let there be no politics in the matter which is close to the Hindus'' hearts," he said.
Sena's Ayodhya 'connect'
Earlier, Raut told media persons that the CM didn''t need an invitation to go Ayodhya because he has been going there with a purpose. "He went there before becoming CM and after taking his oath. Shiv Sena cleared the way for the temple construction. It is not a political issue. The Shiv Sena has a very special relationship with Ayodhya," said Raut.
05 August
Date of Ram Mandir ground-breaking ceremony
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