Days ahead of Maharashtra Assembly elections, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray raked up the Ayodhya issue and called for the enactment of a special law for the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site.
Addressing Shiv Sena's annual Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai on Tuesday, Thackeray also sought to clarify that his party was not demanding temple for political gains.
He also said the Narendra Modi government's next agenda should be to bring Uniform Civil Code.
Thackeray said Modi had advised everybody to refrain from speaking about Ram temple issue since the matter is still sub judice. "But, the case is pending for the last 35 years,” he argued.
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The Supreme Court has set a tentative deadline for completion of arguments in the case by October 18. If the hearing is completed by then, a judgment is likely in a month's time, given the fact that Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, who is heading the bench, retires on November 17.
"It is said this month, the court verdict will be out. Otherwise, we stand by our demand that a special law should be enacted to construct Ram Mandir in Ayodhya," the Shiv Sena chief said.
Heaping praise on Union Home Minister Amit Shah for scrapping provisions of Article 370 that had given special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Thackeray said this was a demand the Shiv Sena had been making for several years.
"Amitbhai does what he says. By scrapping Article 370, the dream of Balasaheb Thackeray has been fulfilled. Now we want the Uniform Civil Code," Thackeray said.
He also justified his party's decision to ally with the BJP in the elections scheduled on October 21, and said the alliance was forged for the welfare of the state.
As per the seat-sharing agreement, the Shiv Sena will contest 126 seats while the BJP will field candidates in 148 seats. Remaining 14 seats have been allocated to other allies.
“We have had to do some compromises. I apologise to Shiv Sainiks whose seats have gone to alliance partners," he said.
