Sri Sri Ravi Shankar slams Owaisi after being named in Ayodhya mediation panel

Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Saturday dismissed AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's comment doubting his suitability as a mediator in the Ayodhya dispute. He said people will keep saying as they please. The spiritual leader is part of a three-member panel appointed by the Supreme Court to mediate on the decades-old Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute in Ayodhya. Owaisi had on Friday said Ravi Shankar was "not a neutral person".

"Ravi Shankar had made controversial statements on November 4, 2018 on the Ayodhya issue and threatened that India may become like Syria if Muslims do not give up their claims on the disputed land," he told reporters in Hyderabad.

The spiritual leader, who came on a visit to Uttarakhand on Friday, also talked about the success of his Art of Living Foundation in fighting against drug abuse in Punjab and Haryana and its plans to wage a similar war in the hill state. He cancelled his visit to Kainchi Dham, 20 km from here, and decided to stay back in Nainital on Saturday. He also visited Naina Devi and Pashan Devi temples here. Ravi Shankar said it was his first visit to this region of Kumaon. 

(With inputs from agencies.)