Uddhav Thackeray should go for Hajj Yatra with Rahul Gandhi instead of Ayodhya: BJP leader GVL Narasimha Rao

New Delhi: BJP leader GVL Narasimha Rao took a jibe at Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and said that instead of visiting Ayodhya, he should book a "Hajj Yatra" along with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

"Rather than going to Ayodhya, Uddhav Thackrey should book a Hajj Yatra and go there along with Rahul Gandhi, which will suit his (Thackeray's) ongoing politics," said Rao.

His statement came soon after the BJP asked the Maharashtra CM to take Rahul Gandhi with him to Ayodhya and senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut making a counter remark asking whether BJP leaders would take former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti with them on their visit to Ayodhya.

"Uddhav Thackeray is in the company of Congress and NCP. He is the CM of Maharashtra at the mercy of Congress party and Rahul Gandhi, who are openly following appeasement politics," Rao said.

"By visiting Ayodhya, Thackeray is only committing a sin and is not doing any favour to anybody. We would rather want him to go with Rahul Gandhi to a place of the latter's choice because today Uddhav Thackeray does not represent the Hindutva politics which his father did. His party used to pursue it until a few weeks ago," he added.

On Saturday, Sanjay Raut had confirmed that Uddhav Thackeray would be visiting Ayodhya on March 7 this year.

Earlier, the Shiv Sena party had announced that Thackeray would visit Ayodhya to pay homage to Lord Ram on the completion of 100 days of Maha Vikas Aghadi (Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP) government.

"On the completion of 100 days of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray will visit Ayodhya to pay homage to Lord Ram," said Shiv Sena Spokesperson Sanjay Raut on January 22.

He also said that ministers of alliance partners (Congress, NCP) could even accompany the Maharashtra CM.

Read Exclusive COVID-19 Coronavirus News updates, at MyNation.