Mosque destruction ‘versary:

Some 2,000 baton-wielding Indian police were on duty in the flashpoint city of Ayodhya on Thursday to prevent any clashes around the anniversary of the destruction of a mosque.

Hindu zealots reduced the Babri Mosque to rubble in 1992, kicking off riots across India that left thousands dead, most of them Muslims, and the future of the site has become a major touchstone issue in Indian politics.

Standing behind yellow steel barricades, police on Thursday were seen checking vehicles and stopping some passers-by for questioning as they sought to prevent any flare-up in violence. (AFP)