Alliance with BJP inevitable, says Uddhav

Mumbai: Amid reports that ruling BJP and Shiv Sena are hardening their positions on sharing of seats to contest the assembly polls, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that the saffron alliance is "inevitable" and it will return to power once again.

Speaking at a function here, Thackeray lavished praise on Modi for nullifying Article 370, and gave a call for construction of grand Ram temple in Ayodhya and introduction of Uniform Civil Code.

"PM Modi has provided leadership and direction to the country which has immense capacity to progress and develop. I thanked Modi for abrogating Article 370 (which provided special status of Jammu and Kashmir) and the 'Chandrayaan-2' mission... Now the nation awaits the construction of a Ram mandir in Ayodhya and (introduction of) Uniform Civil Code," said Thackeray.

"Kashmir is an integral part of India and it will remain so. Modi has proved this in deed and not just in words," he added.

Thackeray said the country was also proud of ISRO scientists for manoeuvring the ambitious moon mission.