India's Uttar Pradesh authorities on alert over anniversary of pulling down ancient mosque

NEW DELHI, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh Wednesday sounded an alert on the 25th anniversary of the demolition of an ancient mosque.

The state's police chief Sulkhan Singh has written a letter to all district police officers directing them to ensure law and order and communal harmony across the state.

Singh has ordered the officers to impose prohibitory orders, if necessary.

Reports said additional security contingents have been deployed in Ayodhya town as a precautionary measure to prevent communal clashes.

"Vehicles are being checked at the borders of the district," an official said. "Extra precautions are being taken at 18 sensitive districts of the state and intelligence agencies have also been alerted."

The demolition of the 16th-century mosque -- Babri Masjid -- at the hands of Hindu zealots under the leadership of Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) in 1992, triggered a massive communal riots between Hindus and Muslims in India and claimed over 2,000 lives, mostly of Muslims.

Many Hindus believe that the mosque was built over the birthplace of Hindu god -- Lord Ram.

On Tuesday, India's Supreme Court began the final hearing on the dispute to decide to whom the site belongs.

A three-judge bench, led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, is hearing a total of 13 pleas filed against a ruling of the Allahabad High Court, which ordered a three-way division of the disputed site among Hindus and Muslims.

Earlier this year, the apex court ordered 13 leaders of the ruling BJP to stand trial for their role in making inflammatory speeches that motivated thousands of right-wing Hindu activists to pull down the mosque in 1992. Enditem