"People don't know history of Ram Janmabhoomi movement": UBT Sena's Sanjay Raut

AYODHYA: Reacting to the BJP asking for Shiv Sena (UBT's) contribution to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement MP Sanjay Raut alleged that those people for whom India was formed after 2014 did not know the history of Ram Janmabhoomi movement.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said, "Ram Temple is not a matter of politics, it is a matter of faith, identity and reverence. Thousands of voluntary labourers were martyred in the construction of the Ram temple. Some people for whom India was formed after 2014 do not know the history. These people have neither been in the freedom struggle nor in any major movement or struggle, so they do not know about the struggle for Ram Mandir. We are not fugitives, we stood firm in the field and fought till the end for temple construction."

Sanjay Raut further said that thousands of volunteers lost their lives during the movement and the Saryu river had turned red.

"Ram Janmabhoomi movement started before 2014 and the present BJP government does not have any idea about the contribution of Shiv Sena and Balasaheb Thackeray in the movement," he added.

Earlier Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut questioned those who were asking about the contribution of Uddhav Thackeray in the Ram Janambhoomi movement.

"When the Ayodhya movement was going on, those who consider themselves warriors today ran away from there and at that time Balasaheb Thackeray came forward and said I am proud of Shiv Sainiks who have done this work for Ram Temple. Those who contributed in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement include former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani, Balasaheb Thackeray, former VHP president Ashok Singhal, Uma Bharati, Vinay Katiyar and Shrish Chandra Dikshit," he added.

Sanjay Raut claimed that Shiv Sena UBT was not invited to the Ram Temple consecration on January 22.

On the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Sanjay Raut said, "We do not need any face for the polls. In a country where there is a dictatorship, the political party of that dictatorship brings forward the face of its dictator. Whereas in a democracy there are many faces, people can choose anyone."

On the 22nd of January, 2024 one of the three idols of Lord Ram (in his childhood form) being made from two stones brought in from Karnataka and one from Rajasthan will be placed in the sanctorum of the grand temple. The best idol from three stones will be selected in the first week of January for the consecration ceremony.

Meanwhile, BJP has decided to run a campaign for Ram Mandir celebrations starting January 1, in which BJP workers will go door to door in all the villages across the country and encourage ten crore families to participate in Diya Lightning programs for Ram Temple in Ayodhya.