Hindus suspend temple building

AYODHYA (AFP) - A militant Hindu group yesterday announced a suspension of its controversial campaign to build a grand temple that threatens an ancient mosque.

But the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) said the shrine would be constructed eventually on another, undisputed, site. The Council said in a statement that the 16-day-old campaign to erect a concrete platform on the disputed site would be finished by Monday, and added it would then concentrate instead on building a temple elsewhere.

The Prime Minister, P V Narasimha Rao, appealed to the Hindu leaders yesterday to call off their campaign. He had a meeting with the top six Hindu leaders on Thursday.