Mumbai: In a huge climbdown, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President President Raj Thackeray announced that he has temporarily postponed his forthcoming visit to Ayodhya on June 5.
Raj Thackeray himself made the announcement via social media but didn't spell out any reasons for the move.
MNS Spokesperson Sandip Deshpande and party leader Bala Nandgaonkar both declined to provide what was the real trigger for the decision, but assured Raj Thackeray will enlighten the people about it at his planned public rally in Pune on Sunday.
Adding to the MNS's discomfiture, both Shiv Sena's Tourism Minister Aditya Thackeray and State Congress President Nana Patole announced that their upcoming tours for 'darshan' of Ram Lalla would proceed as per schedule and their trips would be 'non-political'.
Raj Thackeray's abrupt decision came amid massive protests by certain Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and activists in Uttar Pradesh and even other northern states opposing his Ayodhya trip.
They were demanding Raj Thackeray's unconditional apology for the treatment meted out to North Indians in the MNS agitation in 2008.
The protests against Raj Thackeray were spearheaded by Uttar Pradesh BJP MP Brijbhushan Singh who warned that unless he apologises, lakhs of his supporters would block his entry to Ayodhya on June 5.
Brijbhushan Sharan Singh dismissed the claims of "postponement" and said Raj Thackeray has "cancelled" his trip, and his agitation would continue till he (Raj Thackeray) tenders an apology.
Earlier, apprehending threats, Nandgaonkar had called on Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil and demanded security for Raj Thackeray either from the state government or the Centre.
Simultaneously, he warned that "even if a hair of Raj Thackeray was harmed, Maharashtra would burn", though preparations for the Ayodhya trip continued.
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