Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has called for the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya to be conducted by President Droupadi Murmu, stating that it is a matter of national pride and the country's self-respect. Thackeray announced his intention to invite Murmu to the Kalaram temple in Nashik during a press conference. He cited the example of the restoration of the Somnath temple in Gujarat, where the country's first president, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, presided over the ceremony.
Notably, Vishva Hindu Parishad working president Alok Kumar, RSS leader Ram Lal, and Ram temple construction committee chairperson Nripendra Mishra had previously invited President Murmu to the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya.
Thackeray also mentioned that some Shiv Sena workers who participated in the 'kar seva' during the Ramjanmabhoomi agitation in 1992 will be felicitated at the party's convention in Nashik.
In response to Thackeray's demand, Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar accused him of reading Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut's script and challenged both Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aaditya Thackeray to contest Lok Sabha polls and get elected.
(With Agency Inputs)
