While stressing that his party, the Shiv Sena, is committed to Hindutva even though it has broken ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray during his visit to Ayodhya as promised after completing 100 days, has announced an aid of Rs 1 crore for the grand Ram Temple construction.
He said the aid will be given on behalf of a trust and not the Maharashtra government. He was accompanied by his wife Rashmi, son and Maharashtra tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray and another minister and Congress leader Sunil Kedar.
“In Marathi, there is a phrase ‘phool na phoolachi paakli’ (one should offer a petal if not the whole flower). So I am humbly announcing Rs 1 crore assistance for temple construction, not on behalf of the (Maharashtra) government, but our trust,” chief minister Thackeray said.
“We are humbly requesting the members of the (Ram temple) trust (formed to construct the temple on the Supreme Court’s orders) to accept the small contribution from Ram bhakts (devotees of Lord Ram),” Thackeray told reporters before offering prayers at the makeshift Ram Lalla temple.
