Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) chairman Y Sudershan Rao said Saturday, adding that “Leftist historians” refuse to accept that Ayodhya was the birthplace of lord Ram. Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) chairman Y Sudershan Rao said Saturday, adding that “Leftist historians” refuse to accept that Ayodhya was the birthplace of lord Ram.

The Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi issue is not a historical problem but a political one, Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) chairman Y Sudershan Rao said Saturday, adding that “Leftist historians” refuse to accept that Ayodhya was the birthplace of lord Ram.

Rao, whose appointment had sparked a row after some eminent historians questioned his academic credentials, was speaking at a seminar organised by the RSS-linked Akhil Bharatiya Itihas Sankalan Yojana at National Museum on the Ayodhya issue.

Pointing out that archaeological excavations had provided evidence to prove Ayodhya was the birthplace of Ram, Rao said, “But is that sufficient to clinch the issue…if the other party is refusing to accept it? In that case, whatever evidence you show them, the other party is not willing to accept it. Perhaps, if those (people) are connected to the mosque and its religion, we can convince them. But our problem is with our own Leftist friends, the Leftist historians.”

Rao also called Valmiki, the author of Ramayana, the first historian and said what he wrote was the “truth” and based on “objective evidence”.

“I went to Ayodhya. Just walk through the streets — you will get a feeling of living in Ramayana times… I had this feeling. You can’t call it a myth, that’s my experience,” Rao said.

“What more proof do you want if you are convinced in your heart, your mind? So, that place is Ayodhya for those who believe in Ram and those who believe Ram lived there and was born there. This could be a common man’s approach,” he added.

Rao also said many mosques across the country were built on temples.

Historian Meenakshi Jain, who also spoke at the event, said there was enough evidence to show that the entire structure never belonged to Muslims.

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