LUCKNOW, Dec 7: India’s Hindu extremists will soon announce a date for starting construction of a temple at the site of the razed 16 century Babri mosque in Ayodhya, a move that sparked communal violence that left thousands dead, said a spokesman on Sunday.

A council of Hindu extremist leaders known as the Dharma Sansad will be held in Allahabad later this month to discuss work on a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Rama. A centuries-old mosque once stood on the proposed construction site in Ayodhya until it was torn down by a mob of Hindu extremists in 1992 and replaced with a makeshift temple.

The move touched off fierce Hindu-Muslim clashes throughout India that killed more than 2,000 people. Hindu extremists say Muslims had built the mosque on land regarded as Rama's birthplace, and they plan to build a permanent temple there. Both sides are engaged in a lengthy court battle over a small part of the sprawling 80-acre complex.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad or the World Hindu Council – an extremist group linked to India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party – is organising the religious council on Jan 16-17. Authorities are concerned that the temple plan could ignite new communal clashes.—AP