Union Minister Giriraj Singh also warned that Hindus could lose patience on the temple issue.

A few days after right-wing ideologue Mohan Bhagwat claimed that all Indians are Hindu by identity, Union Minister Giriraj Singh today asked Muslims to help construct a Ram temple in Ayodhya because they are "descendants of Lord Ram and not Mughal Emperor Babur".

Mr Singh followed up his controversial claim with a warning. "If Hindus run out of patience, they will take over Mathura, Ayodhya and Kashi," news agency ANI quoted him as saying.

This assertion by the Union Minister comes at a time when Hindutva groups are mounting pressure on the centre to ensure the speedy construction of the temple at the venue believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram. On September 27, a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra had refused to revisit a 1994 ruling that the government can acquire land that a mosque is built on -- a decision that paved the way for the politically charged temple-mosque dispute to be taken up without further delay.

Mr Singh also slammed the opposition Congress on the occasion, accusing party president Rahul Gandhi of expelling members who worship Lord Shiva and then chanting "Har Har Mahadev". "If you are true Hindus, stop having beef at your parties and don't visit temples only before the elections," he said.

This is not the first time the Union Minister has tried recruiting Muslims for the cause of building the Ram temple. "I believe our side is stronger. We will respect the court's decision but I would say that other Muslims should support the Ram temple like our Shia brothers have done. They should let go of their obstinacy because we are both descendants of Hindus," he had said a few months ago.

The Shia Waqf Board seems relatively amenable to letting Hindu groups construct a Ram temple at Ayodhya. In July, it expressed willingness to donate one-third of the land granted to Muslims by the Allahabad High Court if such an act would help bring about a peaceful resolution to the dispute. The proposal was summarily rejected by other Muslim groups, including the Sunni Waqf Board.

The Babri Masjid, built by Babur in Ayodhya in 1528, was razed to the ground by Hindu activists on December 6, 1992. They claim that the Mughal Emperor had constructed the mosque after demolishing a Ram temple that was originally situated there.

(With inputs from ANI)