Rallies banned in New Delhi

Rallies banned in New Delhi

NEW DELHI (Reuter): Indian police have banned rallies and protests in New Delhi for four days before a Supreme Court ruling on a dispute between Hindus and Moslems over a religious site, state-run radio said yesterday.

All India Radio said the Delhi police announced that rallies were banned for four days from yesterday.

Newspapers said orders had been issued as a precaution before the court's ruling on the dispute at the northern city of Ayodhya. Hindu zealots tore down a 16th century mosque there in December 1992, sparking communal riots that killed more than 2,000 people, mostly Moslems.

Militant Hindus want to build a temple on the site of the mosque, which they say was built over the birthplace of their warrior god Lord Rama.