Is Ram temple a jumla, asks Uddhav

Ahead of his much-talked about visit to Ayodhya, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday yet again targeted the BJP.

"Just like Rs 15 lakh in everyone's account is (the promise of) Ram temple a jumla," Thackeray said in an indirect reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Thackeray wanted to know as to why a discussion on the Ram temple issue takes place before elections.

Thackeray will visit Uttar Pradesh over the weekend.

On Saturday, he would perform aarti at Sarayu river while on Sunday, he would be visiting the disputed site and take darshans of Ram-lalla.

Two of his emissaries— Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut, who is also the leader of Shiv Sena Parliamentary Party, and Public Works Department Minister Eknath Shinde— are already camping in Uttar Pradesh and meeting officials in Lucknow and Ayodhya.

Last month, the Supreme Court had deferred hearing of the Ayodhya title suit case to January next year.

The RSS and Sangh Parivar is demanding that a law be enacted enabling construction of a grand Ram temple.