New Delhi: The Supreme Court will take up for consideration on February 21, the Centre's plea seeking vacation of its order banning any kind of religious activity in the 77 acres of land in Ayodhya acquired by the government after the demolition of the disputed structure in 1992.

Sources said the matter is coming up in the apex court on February 21, a day ahead of the 'dharam sansad' organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to chalk out plans for temple construction if the government failed to hand over the undisputed land to the Parishad.

The Centre had moved the court on February 4 within hours of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee meeting Kanchi Shankaracharya, who had last year played a crucial role in the Ayodhya issue by holding negotiations with the parties involved in the dispute.

The government application sought vacation of the apex court's March 13, 2002 order, by which on the eve of the controversial 'shiladaan' ceremony organised by the VHP, the court had banned any kind of religious activity, including 'shiladaan', on the acquired undisputed land.

Seeking an early hearing of a petition filed by Mohammad Aslam alias Bhure on which the Supreme Court had passed the interim stay order, the government said as peace prevailed in the area, the ban order could be lifted.

Meanwhile, Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi, who is acting as the link between the government and the VHP on the Ayodhya issue, today asked the VHP leaders to guard against "statements which are not in the interest of the present initiative and which widen the area of conflict".

PTI