Art of Living founder and Hindu spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has said that India can turn into another Syria if the Ayodhya Ram Mandir issue is not resolved.

In an interview with India Today, Ravi Shankar said, "If Ram Mandir issue is not solved, we will have a Syria in India," referring to the Syrian conflict which has raged on for almost seven years now and has led to almost five lakh casualties.

He also requested Muslims to give up their claims on the disputed land in Ayodhya, as it was a holy site for Hindus and not Muslims. “Muslims should give up their claim on Ayodhya as a goodwill gesture. Ayodhya is not place of faith for Muslims,” he said.

He also said that public utilities like hospital couldn’t be build on the site given its religious significance.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has been engaging with several leaders from all stakeholders in the issue trying to get an out-of-court settlement for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, including the now expelled leader of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Syed Salman Hussain Nadvi, who had supported a Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

He also said that Islam does not approve of a mosque in a holy place, and another place cannot be designated as Lord Ram’s birthplace, "We cannot make Lord Rama to be born in another place."