Declaring Ayodhya a “historic” place for the Hindus, Union Minister Uma Bharti on Thursday claimed that the disputed area cannot be a religious place for Muslims as they consider Mecca to be their holy land.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Supreme Court order that hearing for the Ayodhya title suit will begin from October 29, the BJP MP from Madhya Pradesh claimed that the dispute over the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid area was never “religious” in nature but was turned into one.