A court order to dig up the past is likely to fuel tension in India

A court order to carry out archaeological excavations in the holy Hindu city of Ayodhya is expected to accelerate a long-running legal battle between Hindus and Muslims in what has become India's bloodiest property dispute.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), a government organisation, is to carry out excavations on disputed land to determine whether a Hindu temple stood at the site of a 16th century Mughal mosque that was torn down by Hindu zealots in 1992.

Hindus say the mosque was built on the ruins of a temple which marked the birthplace of the Hindu god Ram.

The razing of the mosque in 1992 led to nationwide riots in which 2,000 people died.

The surprise decision by a high court in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh to order the dig will raise more dust in an already contentious situation.

The order came on the eve of a crucial hearing which began yesterday in the Supreme Court in New Delhi to determine whether a large part of the land, now fenced off and under federal government control, should be handed over to Hindus.

The property case is before the Uttar Pradesh court, but the Supreme Court was forced to enter the picture as the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), seeking to expand its support among Hindus, seems determined to revive its 'build the temple' campaign, which helped the party to power in 1998.