Sri Sri Ravi Shankar representing 'govt interests' in Ayodhya dispute: Congress

NEW DELHI: The Congress today dubbed spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar a "government agent" who is representing its interests in the Ram Temple dispute in Ayodhya.

"Sri Sri is representing the government interests," Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said when asked about the mediation being done by the Art of Living Foundation head in the Ram Temple issue in Ayodhya.

The Congress leader said the Supreme Court had made it very clear that a settlement was possible, but he asked as to who had appointed people like the Art of Living Foundation chief to take charge.

"Now the whole issue is, if they are government agents working towards this, I think that defeats the very purpose the Supreme Court mentioned," the Congress leader said.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has offered to mediate in the Ram Temple row for an out-of-court settlement, to which the Supreme Court is not averse.

Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board chairman Waseem Rizvi met Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on the Ayodhya issue in Bengaluru today and apprised him of the Board's stand that a Ram temple should be built at the site.

"I met Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and apprised him of the (Shia) Board's stand that a Ram temple should be constructed at the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya," Rizvi told.