Muslim Personal Law Board rejects Ravi Shankar's offer to mediate in Ayodhya dispute

The Art of Living Founder, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, has offered to mediate in the long-pending Ayodhya dispute.

New Delhi: The Muslim Personal Law Board has rejected the Art of Living Founder, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's offer to mediate in the long-pending Ayodhya dispute.

News18 on Tuesday cited sources as saying that the Muslim Personal Law Board has categorically rejected Sri Sri's Ayodhya outreach.

The spiritual leader, who is due to meet Home Minister Rajnath Singh today, had clarified that he was involved as a mediator in the Ram Temple dispute on his own.

The AOL founder also said that he would visit Ayodhya on November 16 to meet all the stakeholders.

The spiritual guru made these remarks while delivering a lecture on the occasion of the 13th Nehru Memorial Lecture at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Monday. 

The Congress had last month dubbed Sri Sri Ravi Shankar a "government agent" who was representing its interests in the Ram Temple dispute in Ayodhya.

The spiritual leader told reporters that he would pay a courtesy visit to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

"It was out of my own will that I was involved as a mediator in Ram Temple issue," he had said.

Confirming that he would be visiting Ayodhya, the AOL founder said, "I do not have an agenda in this issue and will listen to everybody during the visit."

He had recently offered to mediate in the Ram Temple row for an out-of-court settlement.

Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board chief Waseem Rizvi had also met the Art of Living founder in Bengaluru, in hopes of resolving the long-pending dispute.

“The whole country respects Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, I am sure the issue will be resolved....Have requested Sri Sri Ravi Shankar that talks should be held only with those who want an agreement,” Rizvi added.

The Supreme Court is all set to hear the historic Babri Masjid-Ram Temple case from December 5.