Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday expressed confidence that Ram Mandir in Ayodhya would be constructed under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “We are sure the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will be back in power in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state. The alliance will be there. I am assuring you in the presence of Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) sure that Ram Mandir will be constructed under his leadership in Ayodhya,” said Thackeray at a function organised to mark the laying of foundation stone for three metro lines. “As soon as PM Modi arrived here, I asked him for how many things I should thank him and wish him? All those things which we had been promising to bring in and implement for so many years have now been fulfilled by PM Modi. I am proud that Article 370 has been abrogated. This promise has been fulfilled. I am sure that we will build the Ram temple in Ayodhya,” he added. This was not the first time when Thackeray mentioned about the construction of Ram Mandir under Modi’s leadership. Earlier in June too while addressing the party workers in here, Thackeray had stated: “I have said in Ayodhya that the Ram Mandir will be constructed during the tenure of the Modi government.” Prime Minister Modi on Saturday laid the foundation stone for three metro lines, which will together add more than 42-km to the existing metro network of Mumbai. These three corridors are — 9.2-km long Gaimukh to Shivaji Chowk (Mira Road) Metro-10 corridor, 12.7-km long Wadala to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Metro-11 corridor and 20.7-km long Kalyan to Taloja Metro-12 corridor. The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for a state-of-the-art Metro Bhavan, which will operate and control 14 metro lines measuring around 340 km. During his visit, PM Modi also inaugurated Bandongri Metro station in Kandivali East. He also inaugurated a state-of-the-art metro coach, the first metro coach under the Make in India initiative. At an event here, Prime Minister Modi also released a ‘Brand Vision Document’ for Maha Mumbai Metro.
