Uddhav Thackeray Warns of Possible “Godhra-Like” Flare-up after Inauguration of Ram Temple

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Sept 11: The former Maharashtra chief minister and the chief of the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction, Uddhav Thackeray has cautioned the country against a possible communal flare-up for the ruling BJP to take political advantage in the wake of the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya scheduled for January, next year.

The BJP leaders slammed Thackeray for the insinuation and wondered what his father Balasaheb Thackeray would have thought about his son’s such acrimonious statement against the Ram Temple which he had blessed during his lifetime.

Speaking at a gathering in Jalgaon, Uddhav Thackeray had surmised the possibility of a “Godhra-like” incident when the people returned after the inauguration of the Ram Temple. His reference was to the 2002 Godhra train carnage in Gujarat when the kar sewaks who had gone from Gujarat for help building up the Ram Temple were returning from Ayodhya.

A train coach full of kar sewaks was in fire killing 59 people resulting in one of the worst communal carnage taking a toll of more than 1,000 Muslims killed or burnt alive. The BJP has started sweeping all the polls, be it Parliamentary or state Assembly elections in Gujarat ever since with the communal divide in the prime minister Narendra Modi’s home state still very strong.

Thackeray hinted of a “conspiracy” to repeat the “Godhra-like situation.” The temple is to be inaugurated in January, months before the Lok Sabha election, and is likely to be attended by tens of thousands of Hindus from across the country.

Thackeray referred to a “possibility that many Hindus will be called from all over the country in buses and trains… and, while returning from there, a Godhra incident can be carried out somewhere on the way.” “This can happen… attack can happen. In some colony they will burn buses, throw stones… massacres will take place. The country will be on fire again… and they will bake their political bread on these flames,” the Shiv Sena UBT leader cautioned.

Mr Thackeray’s claim was sharply criticised by senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, who reminded his former ally that Balasaheb Thackeray (the late Shiv Sena founder) had “blessed” the Ram temple movement, and declared he would “pray to Lord Ram for wisdom (to the opposition leader).” Mr Thackeray’s remark was also slammed by Union Minister Anurag Thakur and Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.

The former Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Balasaheb Thackeray – Mr Thackeray’s late father – may feel “… what happened to my child?” “With whose blessings he became a big leader… will he speak like this? The Ram Janmbhoomi movement which Balasaheb blessed? This alliance against PM Modi can go to any limits for votes,” he declared. “I would like to pray to Lord Ram to give them (the INDIA opposition alliance) some wisdom,” he said.

Mr Thakur, asked to respond, slammed the Maharashtra politician for being “greedy” and swung the question around to the ongoing row over Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remark on Sanatana Dharma and questioned why leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Thackeray were silent on the issue.

The Goa Chief Minister wondered why Uddhav Thackeray was speaking against Ram Temple. “I don’t know why (Mr) Thackeray has any apprehension regarding inauguration of Ram temple.” He too flagged the ‘Sanatana Dharma’ row in his response, and slammed the INDIA opposition alliance, of which Mr Thackeray’s Sena faction is a part, on the issue.

Anurag Thakur said efforts were being made to “insult” Sanatana Dharma and hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray for staying silent over it. “The opposition should break its silence on insults to Sanatana Dharma.” “The opposition is limited to insulting the Sanatana Dharma. This shows their mentality and efforts are going on one after another to insult the Sanatana Dharma,” the Minister claimed.

On Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray’s statement that a “Godhra-like” incident may take place after the inauguration of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, Mr Thakur claimed some people have forgotten their ideology for the greed of power. “I don’t know what Balasaheb (late Shiv Sena founder and Uddhav Thackeray’s father) would have thought today and what Uddhav ji is doing today for the greed of power. Rahul ji and Uddhav ji did not say a word when so many things were said about Sanatana Dharma,” Mr Thakur added.