Thousands of saffron-clad Hindu monks demanding the right to build a temple on the site of a razed mosque tried to march on India's parliament on Monday in an attempt to revive an issue that has divided the country.
The leaders of the march, which came to a standstill when heavily armed police threw up barricades about a km (0.6 miles) from the parliament building, threatened bigger protests next month.
"We should be allowed to build the temple. We've given the government enough time," said Acharya Giriraj Kishore, leader of the Hindu hardline Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), which is an ally of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
The march, two days ahead of four state elections, was part of a new drive to erect a temple to the god-King Ram on the site at Ayodhya in northern India. Hindu zealots destroyed an ancient mosque there in 1992, triggering riots that left 3,000 dead.
Kishore, speaking as supporters sat peacefully listening to speeches, told reporters that lawmakers should respond to their demands and said failure to do so would bring fresh protests.
"We'll be launching a much stronger agitation next month," he warned.
Police estimated the number of protesters at close to 5,000. They reported no violence.
On Friday, the BJP-led coalition government asked the Supreme Court to end a ban on all religious activity near the mosque site, long a flashpoint of religious unrest, saying it would help defuse tensions. The court adjourned the case until March 6.
The main opposition Congress party has accused the BJP of seeking to exploit the explosive issue ahead of the state polls and national elections due in 2004.
A Hindu religious council decided in New Delhi at the weekend to hold rallies across the country to build support for constructing the temple, which has become a rallying cry for Hindu fundamentalists.
The dispute between Hindus and Muslims over ownership of the site has dragged on for years in the courts, which have forbidden any construction on the land until the debate is settled.