Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said Ayodhya was a place of utmost faith for him and his supporters where Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray wanted to see a grand Lord Ram temple as he flagged off a special train carrying activists of his party to the temple town in Uttar Pradesh.
Sporting a saffron shawl, Shinde, who himself will be in Ayodhya on April 9 for the first time after taking over as CM on June 30, 2022, showed the green flag to the train at Thane station around 4.40 pm amidst slogans of Jai Shri Ram.
He was accompanied by his son, Kalyan Lok Sabha MP Srikant Shinde, Kalyan unit in-charge of the Shiv Sena Gopal Landge, local leaders and hundreds of Shiv Sena activists.
Shiv Sainiks travelling by the special train, which was beautifully decorated with a ‘Chalo Ayodhya’ board mounted in the front, will welcome their leader when he lands in the town on Sunday.
Amid blowing of trumpets and music bands playing, the CM walked the entire stretch of the platform No. 5 accompanied by hundreds of Shiv Sainiks carrying saffron flags with pictures of Lord Ram and the party’s bow and arrow poll symbol printed on them. They also displayed placards bearing pictures of Shiv Sena founder the late Bal Thackeray.
Shinde carried the flags and placards for some distance, and entered train bogies and greeted passengers on their way to Ayodhya. In all, more than 3,000 devotees have left for the temple town in these two trains, which will reach the final destination on Saturday, he said.
Ram Bhakts on their way to the pilgrimage town were extremely enthusiastic. They are eagerly awaiting to have a darshan of Lord Ram, he said. The chief minister will leave for Lucknow on April 8 evening and visit Ayodhya the next day and perform ‘aarti’ on the banks of the Saryu river, according to an itinerary circulated among media persons.