Uddhav remembers Ram, Hanuman only during protests: Minister Shirsat

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jul 17 (PTI) Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Shirsat on Friday took a sharp dig at the Shiv Sena (UBT), claiming its agitation over alleged donation embezzlement at the Ayodhya Ram temple proves that party chief Uddhav Thackeray only remembers Lord Ram and Hanuman during protests. BJP leader and former MP Navneet Rana also targeted Thackeray over the issue, claiming that his ‘Ram Raksha Andolan’ was an attempt to save his party. Speaking to reporters in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Shirsat pointed out the "irony" of the ‘Ram Raksha’ protest, stating that Thackeray had skipped the grand consecration ceremony of the Ayodhya temple in 2024 despite being invited. “It is their agitation, and there is no need to talk much about it. But this shows that he (Uddhav) remembers Lord Ram and Hanuman only during the protest. He also read the Hanuman Chalisa and has started becoming religious,” he said. The Shiv Sena minister also cited the instance when former ex-MP Rana was jailed for a few days because she announced she would recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside Thackeray’s Mumbai residence, ‘Matoshree’, in 2022. The government will not put any restrictions on the Sena (UBT) for its protest in Nagpur on July 18, he said. Asked about the opposition party inviting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to the Nagpur protest, Shirsat said they cannot force anyone to attend the agitation, and pointed out that Thackeray did not attend the consecration of the Ayodhya Ram temple and had ignored the invitation. The minister also hinted at “changes” in the state politics, citing talks between NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar and the NDA. “Changes are occurring in politics. I have heard that Sharad Pawar is talking to the NDA. Senior leaders Jayant Patil and Sunil Tatkare are holding talks separately. The outcome of these talks will be known in a few days or a week,” he said. The Shiv Sena leader further said he hoped that the ongoing hunger strike by activist Sonam Wangchuk in New Delhi, demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination, would end soon. “The hunger strike has entered its 20th day. The court has also taken note of it. Our party’s stand is that this agitation should be stopped with a positive way out,” he said. In Amravati, Navneet Rana claimed that Thackeray’s ‘Ram Raksha Andolan’ was an attempt to save his party, which she claimed was falling apart. Sarcastically referring to Thackeray as “janab”, she said the Sena (UBT) chief did not visit the Ram temple in Ayodhya, but is now remembering “Ram Lalla, Ram Raksha and Hanuman Chalisa after losing his party, MLAs and MPs”. “How can a person who has still not visited the Ayodhya Ram Temple do ‘Ram Raksha’? He is actually doing ‘paksh rakhsa’ (saving party),” he said. The former MP asked Thackeray to visit ‘Hanuman Gadi’ in Amravati as well to recite the devotional hymn ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ with her and her family Ranas during his Nagpur visit on July 18. She also asked Thackeray to visit the Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh headquarters here first and bow before the statue of RSS founder Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar before starting his ‘Ram Raksha’ programme. PTI AW CLS ARU NR