Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray, party MPs to visit Ayodhya on June 16

Thackeray had visited Ayodhya in November last year and demanded that Ram temple be constructed at the disputed site before the Lok Sabha elections.

Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray (Source: PTI)

New Delhi: Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray is set to visit Ayodhya on June 16 and offer his prayers to lord Ram. As per sources, he will also perform an aarti at bank of river Sarayu. As per reports, Thackeray’s 18 newly elected MPs will also accompany the Sena Chief on his visit, where the party is set to mount pressure on the government in favour of constructing a ram temple on the disputed land. This will be Sena Chief’s second visit to Ayodhya to mount pressure over the demand of Ram Mandir construction. Thackeray had visited Ayodhya in November last year and demanded that Ram temple be constructed at the disputed site before the Lok Sabha elections. The ties between the Sena and its ally BJP were under strain then. The Sena later once again stitched up an alliance with the BJP for the Lok Sabha polls, but maintained that Ram temple was an important issue for it. When contacted, Harshal Pradhan, a close aide of Uddhav Thackeray and media in-charge of the Sena, said, "It is true that Thackeray has decided to visit Ayodhya. The plan is to visit before the parliament session starts on June 17. "There will be an announcement about the visit soon. Uddhav-ji will elaborate on the visit and the party's stand," he said.