National Security Adviser Ajit Doval held a meeting with eminent Hindu and Muslim religious leaders on Sunday, a day after the Supreme Court verdict in the Ayodhya case, officials said.

They appealed for maintaining peace and tranquillity amidst apprehensions that some anti-national elements may try to “exploit the situation”.

“Those attending the meeting were alive to the fact that certain anti-national and hostile elements, both within and outside the country, may attempt to exploit the situation to harm our national interest,” according to a joint statement issued after the four-hour meeting at Doval’s residence here.

Religious leaders from across the country and members of the Hindu Dharmacharya Sabha and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad attended the meeting.

Settling a fractious issue that goes back more than a century, the Supreme Court in a historic verdict on Saturday backed the construction of a Ram temple by a government trust at the disputed site in Ayodhya, and ruled that an alternative five-acre plot must be found for a mosque in the Hindu holy town.

“The interaction helped to strengthen communication between top religious leaders to maintain a spirit of amity and brotherhood amongst all communities,” the statement said.

“The leaders resolved to honour the decision of the Supreme Court and appealed to all countrymen to abide by it, emphasising that the national interest overrides all other considerations. They extended their full cooperation to the government in ensuring peace, communal harmony and upholding the rule of law,” it said.

The religious leaders pledged their “unstinted support” to the government in all the measures it may take to maintain peace and order in the society, it said.

The leaders noted with satisfaction that millions of Indians, belonging to both communities, displayed a great sense of responsibility, sensitivity and restraint in accepting the court verdict, it said.

There are some people who may want to create disturbance and this meeting was to ensure that such people do not succeed, Swami Parmatmananda Saraswati said after the meeting.

“Everyone expressed resolve to ensure harmony in the country by appealing to their respective followers. In the digital world, there are many in the country and abroad who want to create a disturbance. The meeting was to discuss proactive steps to check such elements,” he said.