Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday intensified his party’s campaign for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, calling for “temple before government”. “Har Hindu ki yahi pukar, pehle mandir fir sarkar [This is every Hindu’s call – first the temple then the government],” Thackeray said at a press conference after a meeting with party leaders in Mumbai, PTI reported.

The meeting, which was attended by party leaders from outside Maharashtra too, reviewed preparations for Thackeray’s visit to Ayodhya on November 24 and 25. Party leaders from outside Maharashtra also attended. Thackeray asked party workers to conduct a grand puja on November 24 across Maharashtra and in other parts of the country where the Shiv Sena has a presence.

The Shiv Sena chief said he will conduct a “Sarayu aarti” on the banks of the Sarayu river on November 24, and all party workers should conduct a puja at the same time.

But activists of the Yuva Sena, the Shiv Sena’s youth wing, and the women’s wing, will not accompany Thackeray to Ayodhya, the party’s coordinator for North India said. “Party activists of the Yuva Sena and women’s wing have been asked not to come to Ayodhya due to logistical reasons,” Vinay Shukla said, according to The Indian Express. “It is not a political show of strength but a religious event.”

Thackeray has been taunting Shiv Sena ally the Bharatiya Janata Party for its government’s “failure” to build a Ram temple despite being in power for over four years. On October 18, he asked the Centre to build the shrine soon, or admit that it was merely an “election jumla”, or false poll promise. “We are with you only for Hindutva,” Thackeray added. It was then that he announced his November visit to Ayodhya.