NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena has welcomed the decision to form a trust for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. Sena MP Arvind Sawant on Wednesday said that the construction of the temple is a priority.
Speaking to IANS in Parliament, Sawant said, "we welcome the Prime Minister's decision. It was Bala Sahib Thackeray's dream. He always emphasised that Ram temple should be built in Ayodhya. Even Chief Minister Udhav Thackeray during the Lok Sabha elections continuously repeated 'Pehle Mandir phir sarkar' (first temple then government). He also went to Ayodhya twice and offered prayers to Ram Lalla."
Sawant also informed IANS that Maharashtra Chief Minister "will go there again and again," adding, "But the Supreme court is above all. The court gave its decision in favour of the temple, which no one could dare earlier. Therefore it is government's responsibility to implement court's order. The PM today has announced it in the Lok Sabha. It was already discussed in the meeting of the council of ministers. We welcome it and thank Prime Minister Modi.
When asked if Shiv Sena ally Congress will be disappointed for thanking the prime minister, he said, "it has nothing to do with our ally. We did not leave our ideology (despite being in the alliance with the Congress). Temple is a top priority for us."
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, that has been at the forefront of the Ram Janambhoomi movement, has welcomed the announcement for the constitution of a Ram Mandir trust while demanding the temple construction start at the earliest.
VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal said, "The meeting of the newly formed trust should be held soon, so that the work of the construction of the temple begins at the earliest, with the same model, with the support of all the Ram devotees, with the help of those worshippers, from the same rocks, the same Hindu desire."
Earlier, Modi called it a "historic moment" when all members "joined together in one voice for the renovation of Shri Ram Dham" in Ayodhya and for the construction of the Ram temple.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced in the Lok Sabha that the government has given approval to a proposal for "Shri Ramjanmabhoomi Tirtha Kshetra" trust to take care of the construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya and other related issues.
Modi said that the historic decision was taken on Wednesday morning meeting of the Union cabinet in view of the Supreme Court's November 9 judgement on Ramjanmabhoomi issue.