Ayodhya: Shiv Sena, VHP prepare for Ram temple events tomorrow

The Shiv Sena and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad have sharpened their rhetoric to demand the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya even as the two outfits plan separate events in the temple town on Sunday.

Local media reports claim as many as 2 lakh supporters from the RSS and VHP, in addition to Hindu seers, would arrive in Ayodhya for a 'Dharam Sabha' in the temple town on Sunday. The event will reportedly be held at 11am at the Bhaktmal Ashram.

The VHP had been drumming up support for early construction of the Ram temple, despite the issue continuing to remain in the Supreme Court. While Section 144 had been imposed in Ayodhya, VHP activists defied orders and held a roadshow on Thursday in preparation for the Dharam Sabha.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray is expected to arrive in Ayodhya on Saturday. After meeting seers, Thackeray is expected to conduct prayers at the River Saryu. On Sunday morning, before the VHP event, Thackeray will visit the disputed Ram Janmbhoomi site.

The Shiv Sena had on Friday asked “how long” it would take the Narendra Modi government to pass a law for construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut claimed that it took Ram bhakts only “17 minutes” to demolish the Babri Masjid in 1992, but the Modi government had been unable to move on the temple issue despite getting a majority in the 2014 elections.

Raut also reiterated Thackeray's slogan of Mandir pehle, phir sarkar (first the temple, then the government). Nearly 3,000 Shiv Sena activists are accompanying Thackeray to Ayodhya.

Earlier, BJP MLA Surendra Singh warned “1992 could be repeated” during the VHP's Dharam Sabha on Sunday, in a reference to the destruction of the Babri Masjid 26 years ago. Singh had warned saffron outfits could take the law into their hands over the Ram temple issue.

Taking part in a rally to mobilise people for the event, the BJP lawmaker told reporters on Thursday that 5,000 people from his constituency, Bariya, would travel to participate in the "Dharam Sabha" where the issue of Ram temple's construction would be taken up by saffron outfits.

In preparation for the events by the Shiv Sena and VHP, the Uttar Pradesh Police more than doubled the number of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) units in Ayodhya to 48.