New Delhi: Shiv Sena on Wednesday took the credit for the political developments on the Ram Temple issue and slammed BJP for turning a blind eye to the issue for the first four years of its tenure.  Sena, which will be heading for Ayodhya on November 25, claimed that the political stir-up over the temple is a result of its instigation.

A political strain can be witnessed of late between Hindu nationalist parties over the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, with each party apparently vying with the other to prove it is more devoted to the cause.

An editorial in Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece 'Saamna' claimed that there is a wave of excitement in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the Ayodhya visit of a member of Thakre family, scheduled on November 25.  The write-up claimed that the excitement can not only be witnessed in Uttar Pradesh but in entire north India.  The report heavily censured the BJP for ignoring the issue for four years. “People gave a majority to the party so that the Ram Temple can be erected in Ayodhya, but it is unfortunate that it stayed limited to just being a 'jumla'. "

On Saturday, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad had announced that it would organise rallies on November 25 in Ayodhya, Nagpur and Bengaluru. In response to this, Sena had said on Monday that the RSS and its allied organisations "woke up" to plan 'hunkar' (exhortation) rallies to press for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya after the Sena announced its plans to visit Ayodhya on November 25.

In its latest report in Saamna, the party said “to remind the government of its promise, Shiv Sena raked up the issue and as a result, the government mounted a campaign in the direction. Sena also suggested bringing an ordinance to build Ram Mandir which is now being hailed as the only viable solution to the issue.”

Shiv Sena leaders recently lit 2100 ‘diyas’ (earthen lamps) expressing hope for the building of the temple. However, slamming Sena, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, said that the party that could not build a memorial for Balasaheb Thakre, has set out to build Ram Mandir.Justice Vishnu Kokje , international president of VHP said: “abusing North Indians and now visiting North India, are things that cannot go hand in hand.”