Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said those raising doubts about the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya were shown their way home as the process has started and the work is in full swing.
After paying obeisance to Ramlalla and overseeing the construction work of the temple, Shinde said he is happy that the dream of "Hindu Hriday Samrat" Balasaheb Thackeray and crores of Ram bhakts is being fulfilled.
"Everyone used to wonder when the construction work would start. Some used to say 'mandir wahin banayenge, par tarikh nahi batayenge' (the temple will be built there, but the dates will not be told). But Prime Minister Narendra Modi has got the work started and the dream of crores of Ram bhakts is being fulfilled.... Those asking for the dates have also been shown their way home," Shinde, who has been accompanied by thousands of Shiv Sainiks on his maiden visit to Ayodhya as the chief minister, said.
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His supporters were seen carrying saffron flags with the Shiv Sena's election symbol.
Shinde said before the start of the temple's construction work, several opposition parties used to take a dig at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by raising the slogan -- "mandir wahin banayenge, par tarikh nahi batayenge".
At Hanumangarhi, the Maharashtra chief minister was given a mace by temple mahant Raju Das. His deputy Devendra Fadnavis and BJP MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh were also present on the occasion.
"I thank you all for being able to see our dream being fulfilled with our own eyes. I thank the prime minister and (Uttar Pradesh) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The Sagwan wood used in the temple is from Maharashtra and this is our small contribution," Shinde said.
Hitting out at former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, he said he wants to tell those who used to say this is "ravan raaj" that this government has been made with the blessings of Lord Ram.
"They put (independent MP) Navneet Rana and her husband in jail for reciting the Hanuman Chalisa. When seers were killed, they kept silent. Now, there will be no atrocities on the poor and seers will be honoured and protected," Shinde said.
He said the entire atmosphere from Lucknow to Ayodhya has become "Ram-mai" (filled with slogans of Lord Ram) and he is happy that he has come to the holy town of Ayodhya with the "bow and arrow" (Shiv Sena's poll symbol).
Pointing out that this is his first visit to Ayodhya as the chief minister, Shinde said "we will take the soil from here to Amravati, where a 111-foot statue of Bajrangbali will be built".
"I am going for the darshan of Lord Ram. We have the blessings of Lord Ram and that is why the 'dhanush-baan' (bow and arrow) is with us," Shinde told reporters in Lucknow before leaving for Ayodhya.
He will attend the "maha aarti" in the evening on the Sarayu river bank.
Fadnavis and Uttar Pradesh minister Swatantra Dev Singh were seen accompanying Shinde.
Thousands of Shiv Sainiks have reached Ayodhya and almost all hotels, guesthouses and dharamshalas in the temple town have been booked to accommodate Shiv Sena ministers, MPs and MLAs.
The Sena is planning to highlight Shinde's visit to Ayodhya across the country.
Earlier, Shinde visited Ayodhya as a Sena leader on November 25, 2018, a year before the Supreme Court announced its verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute.
He also visited Ayodhya in March 2020 and June last year.