Indian court gives disputed religious site to Hindus in landmark ruling

Policemen stand guard next to a security barricade on a street, before the Supreme Court's verdict on a disputed religious site claimed by both majority Hindus and Muslim, in Ayodhya, India, November 9, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer

NEW DELHI/AYODHYA, India (Reuters) - India's Supreme Court on Saturday awarded a bitterly contested religious site to Hindus, dealing a defeat to Muslims who also claim the land that has sparked some of the country's bloodiest riots since independence.

The ruling in the dispute between Hindu and Muslim groups paves the way for the construction of a Hindu temple on the site in the northern town of Ayodhya, a proposal long supported by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Hindu-nationalist party.