Shiv Sena MLA and Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday said he will visit Ayodhya on June 10 to seek Lord Ram's blessings for bringing in "Ram Rajya" in Maharashtra.
Interestingly, the MNS chief and Aaditya's uncle Raj Thackeray had announced that he will visit Ayodhya in the first week of June.
When asked about Uttar Pradesh BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's 'ultimatum' to the MNS chief to apologise for humiliating north Indians in the past before visiting Ayodhya, Aaditya Thackeray said he normally doesn't talk about other parties and the "issues which are over".
He said the struggle for constructing a Ram temple in Ayodhya ended thanks to the Supreme Court order in 2019.
"We are now going (to Ayodhya) to seek blessings for the works we are carrying out in Maharashtra and the ones which we intend to carry out in the country. We are going to take darshan of Lord Ram to bring in Ram Rajya in Maharashtra too," he said, adding that blessings will be sought to address issues like power and water shortage in the state.
The state environment minister was speaking to reporters in Nanded city after a function.
He said Shiv Sena workers are not going to Ayodhya for politics. "Ayodhya is our source of strength and devotion. We are going to seek blessings. As Maha Vikas Aghadi, we are going ahead taking every section of the society along. Maharashtra is the financial strength of the country. The country will march forward if Maharashtra is taken forward," said Aaditya, the son of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
He said Shiv Sena workers had visited Ayodhya even when the struggle for the construction of the Ram temple was on. Taking a veiled jibe at BJP, Aaditya said Shiv Sena should not be taught about Hindutva or the Hindu religion.
"Some people are trying to teach us Hindutva and about the Hindu religion. But we don't need any teachings. Our Hindutva is simple which means service to people and fulfil promises given to people," he said.
Aaditya Thackeray also said that Shiv Sena and allies NCP and Congress will fulfil the promises made to the people.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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