Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge claims Udhhav Thackeray's Ayodhya visit an attempt to 'polarise votes'

Kalaburagi (Karnataka): Calling Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray’s Ayodhya visit a gimmick to attract votes, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said that on one hand Shiv Sena is friends with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while on the other it is claiming to pressure the government over the Ram Temple issue. [caption id=“attachment_4761871” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Image of Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge. Twitter @INCIndia[/caption] Speaking to ANI, Kharge said, “Everyone is going there due to elections. Who stopped Uddhav Thackeray from going there in last four-five years? On one hand, they are friends with the BJP and on the other, they want to tell people that they are interested in the construction of the Ram Temple and are pressuring the government. People would not be fooled by this.” Quoting a proverb in Kannada, Kharge asserted that people remember God only when they are in trouble. “Everyone remembers Ram only during elections, there is a saying which means people remember God only when they are in trouble. Now, since the BJP is in trouble they are remembering God. They want to polarise the votes,” added the Congress leader. The Shiv Sena chief is in Ayodhya since Saturday afternoon. On the first day of his visit, he asked the central government to announce a date for the construction of the Ram Temple The Shiv Sena and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) have organised mega events in Ayodhya on Monday, to press for the construction of the Ram Temple.