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Hindu bodies, AIMPLB reject Sri Sri’s role in Babri parleys

Talks for a possible out of court settlement of the Ram Janmabhoomi –Babri Masjid dispute initiated by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of Art of Living, seem to have run into trouble at the onset

Updated on: Feb 10, 2018, 22:55:23 IST
Hindustan Times, Lucknow | By
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Talks for a possible out of court settlement of the Ram Janmabhoomi –Babri Masjid dispute initiated by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of Art of Living, seem to have run into trouble at the onset.

Indian Spiritual leader and founder of The Art of Living Foundation Sri Sri Ravi Shankar during an in formal interaction with media persons on the eve of world yoga day at Dharamsala. (HT iel Photo)
Indian Spiritual leader and founder of The Art of Living Foundation Sri Sri Ravi Shankar during an in formal interaction with media persons on the eve of world yoga day at Dharamsala. (HT iel Photo)

The all-powerful chief of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and prominent saints of Ayodhya have refused to accept any ‘outside’ mediation.

Nritya Gopal Das is the most revered saint of Ayodhya and his opinion is taken seriously by the Yogi government.

The word ‘outside’ was directed towards Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who is not a party to the ongoing Ram Janmabhoomi –Babri Masjid title suit case in Supreme Court.

The comments coincide with a similar stance from Muslim organisation AIMPLB which too opposed parleys.

The VHP, which has been spearheading the temple movement for the last three decades, also outrightly rejected the talks.

“Nothing less than construction of Ram temple at lord Ram’s birth place in Ayodhya is acceptable. Babri Masjid will not be accepted in Ayodhya,” said Sharad Sharma, state spokesperson, VHP.

Mahant Satyendra Das, who has been performing pooja of Ram Lala for the past 25-years at the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya has also expressed his reservations.

“Where the mosque will be constructed? It is still not decided yet. Who will decide this? And whether the new site for Mosque will be acceptable to Muslims or not,” said Mahant Satyendra Das.

  • Pawan Dixit
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Pawan Dixit

    Pawan Dixit, Assistant Editor, brings over 20 years of frontline reporting experience to the newsroom. A specialist on Uttar Pradesh politics and governance, he has reported from the ground across the state’s most consequential stories. He cut his teeth in eastern UP, spending 15 years covering the region. Based in Varanasi, he reported the 2012 UP Assembly polls and the 2014 Lok Sabha elections that reshaped the state’s political map. Moving to Lucknow in 2016, he has since led coverage of the 2017 and 2022 UP Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. His reporting tracks the BJP’s strategy, opposition moves, and voter sentiment across all 75 districts. Pawan has been a constant presence in Ayodhya since 2016. He reported the entire arc of the Ram Mandir movement — from the legal fight to the Supreme Court verdict, through temple construction, to the inauguration. He continues to track every development at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. On the state beat, he covers the BJP, the Industrial Development Department, and handles key outstation political assignments. He also reports major cases from the district court, Lucknow bench of the High Court, and the State Information Commission. Along with this, he also reports on NGT's important decisions related to UP. Known for sharp sourcing and clear analysis, Pawan connects politics, policy, infrastructure and faith — the forces driving UP today. He has reported developments in Ayodhya and Ram Mandir movement since 2016. The Supreme Court's Ram Mandir verdict, temple construction and the its opening have been reported by him. He reports all developments in Ayodhya and Ram Mandir Trust. He covers state BJP, Industrial development department, outstation political assignments, reports special cases from district court, high court and state information commissionRead More