Shiv Sena gears up to start Ram mandir campaign in Maharashtra

As party chief performs aarti at Saryu river, workers to hold bike rallies, perform pujas in state

As Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray reaches Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, the party is gearing up to start a parallel campaign across Maharashtra.

Shiv Sena party workers leave for Ayodhya to join party chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday. (HT file photo)

Thackeray will perform Saryu aarti at Naya Ghat in Ayodhya at 5pm on Saturday. At the same time, maha-artis will be held at 25 places across Mumbai, with division chiefs or vibhag pramukh leading the puja. Party workers will also take out bike rallies across the city.

The aarti will be performed at Malabar Hill, Colaba, Siddhivinayak temple, Sewri, Sion, Ghatkopar, Kurla, Vile Parle, Malad, Goregaon, Borivli and Dahisar at 5pm, a functionary said.

“We have planned a maha-aarti at a Ram temple in Thakurdwar. Before the aarti, the Yuva Sena will hold a bike rally at Girgaum and Chira Bazar,” said Pandurang Sakpal, party’s vibhag pramukh in south Mumbai.

Thackeray will visit the Laxman Kila and meet top priests on Saturday. He will visit the Ram Janmabhoomi site on November 25. He is also expected to participate in ‘Jan Samvad’, where he will interact with a few locals. Thackeray and the Sena have strategically taken up the Ram temple issue before general elections.

During his visit, Thackeray is expected to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Ram temple issue. In a bid to intensify his party’s campaign for the temple in Ayodhya, Thackeray has given a new slogan — “Har Hindu ki yahi pukar, pehle mandir fir sarkar (This is every Hindu’s call – first temple, then government).