During a rally in Maharashtra's Dhule district, Union Home Minister Amit Shah claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi avoided visiting the Ram temple in Ayodhya for fear of losing his vote bank. Shah questioned Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray's stance on Gandhi's resistance to repealing Article 370, which conferred special status to Jammu and Kashmir, reported PTI. 

According to the news agency, Shah emphasised the BJP's role in resolving the Ayodhya Ram Mandir problem and aiding its construction, claiming that Gandhi denied an invitation to the temple opening for fear of losing political support. He chastised the Congress for its slowness in removing Article 370, citing appeasement politics, and pressed Thackeray to clarify his position on Gandhi's decisions.