In the northern Indian town of Ayohdya, Hindu leaders and
more than 1,000 supporters have began a contentious religious procession under
tight police security.
The procession is being led Hindu spiritual leader Ramchandra Param-Hans and
head of the hardline World Hindu Council - or VHP - Ashok Singhal. They've
handed over to an envoy of Atal Behari Vajpayee, one of two stone pillars for a
temple to the Hindu warrior God Ram which they want to build on the site of a
destroyed mosque. The temple plans have been extremely contentious since Hindu
zealots tore down the mosque in 1992. The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that
"no religious activities of any nature, by anyone" would be allowed
in Ayodhya. Around 10,000 security personnel are in the town, which is all but
shut down. Indian police have arrested at least 9,000 people in a massive
security operation aimed at preventing any renewed outbreak of Hindu-Muslim
violence.