Radical Hindu Group Vows to Try Again to Start on Disputed Temple

A radical Hindu group vowed Saturday to make another attempt to begin construction of a temple on the site of a mosque in the northern city of Ayodhya as fresh violence sparked by the controversial campaign left 13 more people dead, news reports said.

The developments came one day after about 10,000 Hindus tried to break through barricades surrounding the religious site but were stopped when police opened fire. At least 18 people were killed and more than 60 wounded in that clash.

Radicals want the 460-year-old Muslim mosque at the site relocated so they can build a temple to honor Rama, an important Hindu demigod.

The events in Ayodhya have sparked clashes between Hindus and Muslims in six states. New violence Saturday in four of those states--Gujarat, Karnataka, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh--left 13 people dead and 30 wounded, the Press Trust of India said.

The killings brought the death toll to at least 170 since Hindu radicals first tried to enter the mosque site last Tuesday.

Despite the bloodshed, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, a militant Hindu organization, said in a statement that its followers would again try to enter the disputed site today.

Security forces patrolled the streets of Ayodhya on Saturday and maintained tight security around the mosque. About 50 people were injured when police used bamboo sticks to disperse a crowd of Hindu protesters on the outskirts of the city, police said.