India will be Syria if Ram Mandir issue not resolved: Ravi Shankar

Lucknow: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Tuesday refueled the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid controversy, by saying that India will turn into Syria if the issue is not resolved soon.

In an interview with a leading news organisation, Ravi Shankar said, "If Ram Mandir issue is not solved, we will have a Syria in India."

Syria is in the worst condition following the armed civil war being fought by many sides. The conflict is primarily between President Bashar al-Assad's government, its allies, and the many forces opposing the government.

The civil war has entered its eighth year with over 4,65,000 Syrians killed so far, over a million injured and about 12 million – half the country's pre-war population - displaced from their homes. In the past two weeks, over 600 people have been killed in Eastern Ghouta.

Also Read: Hopeful of cordial solution in Ayodhya dispute: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Sri Sri further appealed to Muslims to give up claim on Ayodhya. "Muslims should give up their claim on Ayodhya as a goodwill gesture... Ayodhya is not place of faith for Muslims," he said.

The 'Art of Living' founder also claimed that Islam does not allow worship at a disputed site. "We cannot make Lord Rama to be born in another place," he added.

Ravi Shankar also slammed those suggesting to build a public utility like a hospital at the disputed land, where a mob had demolished a Mughal-era mosque on December 6, 1992. The same land according to Hindus is the birthplace of Lord Ram.