Jail threat for Ayodhya politician

An arrest warrant has been issued for the man in charge of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in 1992, when Hindu mobs tore down a historic mosque in Ayodhya.

The attack on the mosque sparked a wave of Hindu militancy

A judicial commission investigating the destruction of the state's 16th Century mosque ordered the warrant to be issued for former chief minister, Kalyan Singh.

The purpose of the warrant is to force Mr Singh to give evidence before the commission.

Mr Singh has refused to give evidence to the inquiry, saying he will only do so if Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and his deputy L K Advani are also called to the stand.

All three men are members of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Extremist groups affiliated to the BJP played an active role in destroying the mosque, which they believe was erected on the site of an ancient Hindu temple, marking the birthplace of the Lord Rama.

The razing of the mosque sparked communal riots throughout India, which left at least 2,000 people dead.

Delay request dismissed

The judge heading the inquiry into the mosque's destruction, M S Liberhan, has ruled out calling Mr Vajpayee to give evidence, but insists Mr Singh is a pivotal witness to the case.

Mr Singh must now appear before the judge on 23 or 24 September or go to jail.

Tight security and the fear of violence has transformed Ayodhya

The warrant issued on Tuesday prevents him from posting bail to avoid prison.

Mr Singh was earlier scheduled to have appeared before the commission on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. But he asked that this appearance be delayed, on the grounds that he would be busy preparing for a vote of confidence for the new chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, who took office last week.

Justice Liberhan dismissed this request on Tuesday, saying no date had been finalised for the vote of confidence.

Mulayam Singh Yadav, a left-wing politician opposed to the BJP and its plans for the Ayodhya site, was sworn in as the state's chief minister on 29 August.

Advani in the frame

The commission also rejected a request from a lawyer representing Mr Advani for Mr Singh to be dropped as a witness, saying "it is not Mr Singh's discretion to appear or not to appear".

Mr Singh had recently threatened to expose the alleged role played by Mr Advani and Mr Vajpayee in instigating the mosque's destruction.

A separate court in Uttar Pradesh is expected to decide on Wednesday if Mr Advani should be charged with provoking the mobs which demolished the Ayodhya mosque.

The site of the destroyed mosque is a no-go area

If he stands trial and is found guilty, Mr Advani could face three to 10 years in prison.

Since 1992, the site of the mosque has been sealed-off by the authorities - but Hindu nationalists still clamour for a temple to be built there.

Over 10 years later, the dispute continues to poison relations between the country's Hindu and Muslim communities.

In 2002, a train carrying Hindus from Ayodhya was set alight in the western state of Gujarat, sparking another round of vicious rioting in which many Muslims were killed.