Lucknow,
Ahead of his Ayodhya visit on Thursday, Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar met Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath at his official residence here today to mediate on the vexed Ram Temple-Babri Masjid dispute. He later interacted with several other Hindutva leaders, including BJP Rajya Sabha MP and mandir movement leader Vinay Katiyar.

Katiyar said the “division” of Ram Janmabhoomi by the High Court must be opposed and that he was all for dialogue, if it paved the way for building Ram Temple. Sri Sri also met Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha national president Swami Chakrapani Maharaj. Speaking to the media, Charkrapani said he was hopeful that the Art of Living chief’s efforts would bear fruit.

Last month Shia Waqf Board chief Wasim Rizvi had unilaterally declared that the Muslims would hand over the disputed site for raising Ram Temple and that Babri Masjid would be constructed nearby.

Despite there being no takers for his proposal among the Muslims, Rizvi travelled to Bengluru for a meeting with Sri Sri, that he described as “very positive”.

It may be recalled that on March 21, 2017, while hearing an appeal by senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on the Ram Janmabhoomi issue, the then Supreme Court Chief Justice JS Khehar had observed that being a “sensitive” and “sentimental issue,” it should be resolved outside the court through talks. It is in this context that Shia Waqf leader Rizvi had met Sri Sri in Bengluru.