MUMBAI: The Supreme Court verdict on Ram Janmabhoomi dispute is unlikely to have any bearing on Maharashtra politics, NCP leader Sharad Pawar said here on Saturday as he welcomed the verdict.
Caretaker Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray too welcomed the verdict. However, they avoided making any comment on political condition in the state.
“The Supreme Court’s landmark verdict that cleared way for the construction of a Ram Temple at the disputed site in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya. All should respect the judgement. The unanimous decision will help address a serious concern before the country,” Pawar said while interacting with the media after the verdict.
“The judiciary has talked about protecting interests of all the sections of the society. It is a good thing,” Pawar said.
Several political parties have respected the decision, noted Pawar and added, “It is a good thing.”
On some BJP leaders visiting Ram temple after the verdict, Pawar said it is an individual’s right and choice whether to visit a temple or Masjid.
“There is no need to comment on it as it is not a political issue,” he added.
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Fadnavis too hailed the SC verdict.
“I welcome the historic judgment of the Supreme Court in the Ram Janmabhoomi case. It upholds the supreme principles of Indian democracy. I thank people of Maharashtra for receiving the verdict in right spirit,” Fadnavis said in his statement at a press conference.
He along with state party president Chandrakant Patil later visited the famous Ram tample at Wadala in Mumbai.
While expressing happiness over the judgment, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said that he bows to the judiciary for the landmark judgment.
“Last year I had visited Ayodhya on November 29. I had carried soil from Shivaji’s birthplace fort Shivneri to the Ram Janmabhoomi. I plan to do the same thing again this year,” Thackeray said while declining to reply to any of the questions pertaining to Maharashtra politics.
Earlier in the day, in the editorial of the party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ Thackeray had raised a question on BJP’s stance of not forming government in Maharashtra.
“In Goa and Manipur, the BJP had shoved away single largest parties and formed governments. It is an open secret that this was done with the active cooperation of governors. But, in Maharashtra, despite being the single largest party, the BJP is not staking a claim,” the editorial noted.
“Without Shiv Sena there will be no government in state, but you (BJP) refuse to honour the commitments. What kind of politics is this. We don’t want to get involved in such kind of muddy politics,” the editorial added while criticizing the BJP’s style of politics.