MNS president Raj Thackeray said during a gathering in Pune that he had to cancel his journey to Ayodhya because he was being set up

Raj Thackeray, chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), said on Sunday that his tweet postponing the Ayodhya visit was intentional because it allowed “everyone to give their reactions.” Thackeray told a rally in Pune that he “decided not to fall into this controversy” because those opposed to his planned visit to Ayodhya were “trying to trap” him.

“I tweeted two days ago about postponing my Ayodhya visit. I purposefully made the statement so that everyone could respond. Those opposed to my Ayodhya visit were attempting to trap me, but I decided not to get involved in this controversy,” Raj Thackeray was quoted as saying by ANI.

He also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pass population control legislation and the Uniform Civil Code as soon as possible.

Thackeray’s much-anticipated visit to Ayodhya has been postponed due to strong opposition from BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has warned the MNS chief that he will not be allowed to enter the Uttar Pradesh city until he makes a public apology for “humiliating” North Indians. In his early years as MNS chief, Thackeray frequently targeted migrants from UP and Bihar under the guise of championing the cause of ‘Marathi Manoos.’

MNS launched an agitation in 2008, during which candidates from North India who arrived in Kalyan, Maharashtra’s Thane district, to take a railway exam were assaulted. As the MNS leader raked up the loudspeaker issue and later announced his visit to Ayodhya, critics questioned his shift from so-called “Marathi Manoos” politics to Hindutva. Ramdas Athawale, the leader of the RPI(A), also asked Thackeray to apologise to North Indians before visiting Ayodhya.

The MNS president stated on Twitter, “For the time being, the Ayodhya visit has been postponed. Details will be provided at the rally in Pune on May 22.”