Hindu activists in India say they will go ahead with a ceremony Friday at a religious site also claimed by Muslims. 

A dispute over the site sparked deadly sectarian violence that has killed more than 700 people over the past two weeks in the western state of Gujarat. 

(Parvin Togadia) The leader of the World Hindu Council says Hindus have the right to gather, even if India's Supreme Court rules against the rally. The court is scheduled to consider the issue Wednesday. It also has been asked to rule on who should control the site at the town of Ayodhya sacred to both Hindus and Muslims. 

The Hindu official made the comment after Muslim leaders rejected a compromise proposal to build a new Hindu temple near the ruins of a mosque, rather than on the same site, as hard-line Hindus had been demanding. The Muslims say the proposal drawn up by a Hindu leader is incomplete. 

The dispute involves a site (in the state of Uttar Pradesh) where a 16th century mosque stood until 10 years ago, when it was destroyed by Hindus claiming it as a site of an ancient temple dedicated to a Hindu god (King Ram). The destruction of the mosque sparked sectarian violence that killed thousands of people. 

The worst sectarian violence since then was triggered late last month (February 27) when Muslim activists set fire to a train returning Hindu activists from a visit to Ayodhya. Fifty-eight people died. Most of the victims in riots that followed have been Muslims. 

The violence has quieted in recent days, but officials are concerned it could resume ahead of Friday's planned Hindu ceremony at Ayodhya. 

Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee told a group of Islamic clerics Saturday his government will abide by a pending Supreme Court ruling on whether the World Hindu Council would be allowed to hold the ceremony. 

Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. 

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