Knew mediation on Ayodhya will fail: Adityanath

Visiting here a day after the Supreme Court noted that a mediation panel had not offered a solution to the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said he knew the effort would fail.

We knew all along that nothing is going to come out of mediation, he said at a gathering of seers. But it is good. If there is an effort, it is a good thing.

There had been mediation before the Mahabharat as well. But the effort failed, he said.

The chief minister was at an event to mark the 16th death anniversary of Paramhans Ramchandra Das, a prominent advocate of a Ram Temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya.

The Supreme Court on Friday said it will hold day-to-day hearings from August 6 to decide the temple-mosque land dispute as efforts to arrive at a settlement through mediation had failed.

The apex court had appointed a three-member mediation committee headed by a former Supreme Court judge F M I Kalifulla in March.

Reacting to the apex court's decision to begin day-to-day hearings, Adityanath said he was confident that the sentiments of the people will be respected.

Adityanath said the campaign to build the Ram temple in Ayodhya was a people's movement, and lavished praise on Paramhans Ramchandra Das.

We are developing Ayodhya in this Kalyug as Ayodhya was in Treta Yug, he said, referring to mythical times.

Adityanath also inspected projects worth Rs 130 crore in the city, and said he has talked with seers and officials on Ayodhya's development and its tourism potential.