Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Union Cabinet's approval of formation of a trust to construct a Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Modi announced in the Lok Sabha the formation of a trust to construct the temple, as directed by the Supreme Court in its landmark verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case in November last year.
Thackeray said the apex court had given a historic decision on the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.
"It was mandatory for the government to implement the decision. I congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking steps to implement the court's decision," Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut tweeted Thackeray as saying.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Cabinet minister for housing Jitendra Awhad also welcomed the announcement of the formation of a Shri Ram Janambhoomi Tirath Kshetra trust. "I welcome the decision for establishing Ram Temple Trust," he said.
He said after the Supreme Court decision, it was natural that the trust will be set up.
"After the Supreme Court decision, it was natural that trust will be established," he said. "Ram does not belong to any party...," he added.
Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Devendra Fadnavis also hailed the Centre's announcement as "historic".
"The wait for a grand temple of Lord Ram will be over soon," he tweeted.
A permanent provision that one of the 15 trustees will be from the SC (scheduled caste) community shows the inclusive approach of the BJP led government, he said.
The Supreme Court had directed the government to form the trust within three months and the deadline was ending on February 9.
Making a statement in the Lok Sabha soon after meeting of the Union Cabinet on Wednesday, Modi said, "We have readied a scheme for the development of Ram temple in Ayodhya.
A trust has been formed, it is called 'Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teertha Kshetra."
It has also been decided to transfer 67.703 acre land to the trust, he said, adding that the Uttar Pradesh government has agreed to give five acre of land to the UP Sunni Wakf Board, as directed by the Supreme Court in the Ayodhya matter.
