Sanjay Raut invites Devendra Fadnavis, Mohan Bhagwat to ‘Ramraksha’ campaign: ‘It's our duty and dharma’

Rajya Sabha MP and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut invited Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to attend UBT's 'Ramraksha' campaign in Nagpur on July 18.

He said the Shiv Sena (UBT) launched the statewide campaign to protect the sanctity of Lord Ram and raise public awareness in the backdrop of alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

'How can it be a political joke?'

Coming from the Opposition camp, Raut explained why he invited the ruling party's leader and CM Devendra Fadnavis, Bhagwat and other prominent personalities associated with Hindutva to the event.

Responding to criticism from BJP leaders, including Nitesh Rane and Sandeep Joshi, who termed the invitation a "political joke", Raut said the Chief Minister represented the entire state and not just one party.

"Not at all. How can it be a political joke? The Chief Minister of a state doesn't belong to just one party; he represents all of Maharashtra," he said.

Speaking to the media in Nagpur, Raut said, "This is not a wedding invitation. An invitation to a wedding is different. We are organising a religious activity, a Hindutva programme near his residence."

"As the Chief Minister of the state, we have invited him [Fadnavis]. More than that, as a devotee of Lord Ram and because of his involvement in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, we have invited him to participate in our Ramraksha movement," Raut was quoted by ANI as saying.

Raut added that he had a long association with Fadnavis.

"I have worked with Devendra Fadnavis for much longer than they have. Even though our paths have diverged now, I worked continuously for 25 years with the BJP and Devendra ji. Therefore, for them to react in such a way is simply foolishness," he said.

On invitation to Mohan Bhagwat

On his letter to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Raut said inviting the Sarsanghchalak was a matter of respect and responsibility, particularly as the programme was being held in Nagpur, the headquarters of the RSS.

"Nagpur is the headquarters of the RSS. In that sense, Nagpur is like a sub-capital or even the capital of Hindutva. We have always held the Sarsanghchalak in high regard," he said.

"Despite occasional differences in opinion, the Sarsanghchalak has always remained a figure of utmost respect for us. It is our duty and responsibility to invite him since we are organising a major event focused on Hindutva, and Shiv Sena UBT president Uddhav Thackeray ji is attending. Therefore, inviting Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat ji is both our duty and our dharma," Raut was quoted as saying.

The 'Ramraksha' campaign

In his letter to Bhagwat, Sanjay Raut referred to the alleged misappropriation of ornaments at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, claiming that the incident has hurt the faith of Hindus.

"The RSS has expressed grief over the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. However, no action has yet been taken against the main accused in the temple theft case," Raut wrote in the letter.

"The theft incident at Ayodhya has deeply hurt the faith and trust of Hindus. It is necessary to once again unite and energise Hindu society," he added.

Inviting Bhagwat to the programme, Raut said, "To awaken Hindus against the Ram Temple theft case, Shiv Sena has launched the 'Ramraksha' campaign across the state. The second phase of this campaign is being held in Nagpur, and we invite you to attend it."

The programme is scheduled to be held on July 18 at 4:30 pm at Ram Mandir, Ramnagar, Nagpur, in the presence of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray.

(With inputs from ANI)