Akhara Parishad sees ‘nautanki’ in Sri Sri’s Ram Janmbhoomi move

An apex body of Hindu seers on Friday termed spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravishankar’s move to resolve the Ram Janambhoomi temple issue as a “nautanki” (drama).

Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) president Mahant Narendra Giri questioned in what capacity Ravishankar has undertaken mantle to reach out stake holders for an “amicable solution” on the controversial issue.

“Who has given him (Ravishankar) responsibility to represent the Hindu saints and community? It’s just a ‘nautanki’ nothing else to gain media hype,” Giri told to HT.

“The issue cannot be resolved just by roaming here and there,” he said

Making a scathing attack on Ravishankar, who is the founder of ‘Art of Living’, Giri said: “Ravishankar is not a saint and doesn’t belongs to sanyas tradition but an NGO founder, who has huge money at his disposal.”

Pointing that without taking Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the ABAP into confidence, Giri said: “In reality its VHP and we who have been seriously involved and working for realising the dream of construction of Lord Rama temple at Ayodhya.”

Suggesting only two aspects through which solution can arrive to this decades-old-issue, Mahant Giri said either through mutual consensus or legal course this issue can be resolved.

He also said he was in touch with Shia Waqf Board and other Muslim representatives involved in this case to pave way for time bound solution.

Mahamandaleshwar Swami Yatishwaranand, who had contested the 2009 parliamentary election on a BJP ticket from Haridwar, has also questioned the authority of Ravishankar in making out dialogue process, terming it as a “mere publicity stunt”.