Sharad Pawar's 'Mandir won't cure Covid' puts Shiv Sena in a fix; party says 'no politics'

Shiv Sena has refrained from targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his upcoming visit to Ayodhya for the Bhumi Pujan ceremony of the grand Ram Temple. Shiv Sena MP and Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Arvind Sawant has said that Lord Ram is a matter of faith for his party and hence they would not indulge in any politics over it.

"Shiv Sena is a leading light of the Ram Mandir movement. (Sena president) Uddhav Thackeray had visited Ayodhya before becoming chief minister and even after taking charge," Sawant said.

Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress are partners in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. Sawant said ensuring the health of people and providing them safety are priorities of the Sena-led state government, which is the concept of 'Ramrajya' (a rule of justice and truth).

"....We are doing precisely this in our (the state government's) fight against coronavirus in Maharashtra," he said.

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The statement by the Shiv Sena leader comes even as Sharad Pawar, Sena's coalition partner, on Sunday while addressing a press conference in Solapur took a jibe on PM Modi by saying "some people think building a temple will help to eradicate the COVID-19 pandemic".

"The question here is that they need to decide what needs to be given attention and importance. We feel fighting against Corona is important to resolve the problem of the people facing because of Corona. But some feel that building a temple will help to fight against Corona. I don’t know the fact. But the government needs to pay attention to the economy. Our MPs will raise the issue of the economy," Pawar told the reporters.

Pawar's jibe comes after the PMO announced PM Modi's visit to Ayodhya for the Bhumi Pujan ceremony. His dig at PM Modi has stoked another controversy, inviting criticisms by BJP leaders including Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy who lambasted the NCP Supremo by terming his comments as "ridiculous" and demanded an apology from the veteran politician.

'PM's visit tentatively scheduled for August 5'

According to Trust president Nritya Gopal Das, the "Bhoomi Pujan" will be performed with the placing of a 40-kg silver brick at the sanctum Santorum. Three-day-long Vedic rituals, beginning August 3, will precede the main ceremony.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aadityanath will also join the "Bhoomi Pujan" ceremony. "I cannot tell the exact date but we have got information that the PM's visit has been tentatively scheduled for August 5," said Triloki Nath Pandey, the decree-holder of the Ram Janmabhoomi mandated by the Supreme Court.

Before the "Bhoomi Pujan" ceremony, Vedic rituals will be performed by sages from Varanasi as was done during the shifting of the idol of Ram Lalla from the sanctum sanctorum to a temporary structure, said Mahant Kamal Nayan Das, the spokesperson of Trust president Nritya Gopal Das.

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