'Instead of Ayodhya, Uddhav should go for Hajj Yatra with Rahul Gandhi': BJP

BJP leader GVL Narasimha Rao on Saturday took a communal jibe at Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and said that instead of visiting Ayodhya, he should book a "Hajj Yatra" along with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. "Rather than going to Ayodhya, Uddhav Thackeray should book a Hajj Yatra and go there along with Rahul Gandhi, which will suit his (Thackeray's) ongoing politics," said Rao.

'Uddhav is in the company of Congress and NCP'

His statement came soon after the BJP on Saturday asked the Maharashtra CM to take Rahul Gandhi with him to Ayodhya and Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut counter-questioning if the BJP leaders would take former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti with them on their visit to Ayodhya? "Uddhav Thackeray is in the company of Congress and NCP. He is the Chief Minister of Maharashtra at the mercy of Congress party and Rahul Gandhi, who are openly following appeasement politics," said Rao.

'Uddhav does not represent Hindutva politics which his father did'

"By visiting Ayodhya, Thackeray is only committing a sin and is not doing any favour to anybody. We would rather want him to go with Rahul Gandhi to a place of the latter's choice because today Uddhav Thackeray does not represent the Hindutva politics which his father did. His party used to pursue it until a few weeks ago," he added. On Saturday, Sanjay Raut had confirmed that Uddhav Thackeray will be visiting Ayodhya on March 7 this year.

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Shiv Sena had earlier announced that Thackeray will visit Ayodhya to pay obeisance to Lord Ram, on the completion of 100 days of Maha Vikas Aghadi (Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP) government. "On the completion of 100 days of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will visit Ayodhya to pay homage to Lord Ram," said Shiv Sena Spokesperson Sanjay Raut on January 22. He also said that Ministers of alliance partners (Congress, NCP) can also accompany the Chief Minister.

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Earlier, BJP leader and spokesperson Sambit Patra took a jibe at former alliance partners Shiv Sena for compromising with its ideology and switching allegiance to Congress in a bid to come to power. Patra posted a video on Twitter of an interview of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray who had spoken in a way that would be opposing to the ideologies of Congress. Patra had asked Thackeray to apologize to Lord Ram for betraying the ideals of his own father Balasaheb Thackeray. The Maha Vikas Aghadi government was formed in November last year after the BJP failed to prove his majority in the State Assembly. 

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(with ANI inputs)