Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray claimed a Godhra-like incident may take place during the return journey of the large number of people expected to converge at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh from across the nation for the inauguration of the Ram Temple.
On February 27, 2002, a tragic incident occurred at Godhra station in Gujarat when Kar sevaks who were returning from Ayodhya on the Sabarmati Express were attacked, and one of their train coaches was set on fire. This incident resulted in fatalities and subsequently sparked widespread riots throughout the state.
It is a possibility that the government could invite a large number of people for the Ram Temple inauguration in buses and trucks, and on their return journey, an incident similar to that in Godhra may occur, Thackeray said in Jalgaon, around 400 km away. Ram Temple is set to be opened in January 2024, months ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Thackeray also criticized the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), accusing them of lacking their own inspirational figures for people to admire and instead adopting historical figures such as Sardar Patel and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. BJP and RSS have no achievements of their own and it is not the size of the statue of Sardar Patel (the Statue of Unity in Gujarat's Kevadia) that matters but his achievements.