NEW DELHI -- Indian religious leaders Tuesday urged members of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's coalition government to quit over plans to build a temple on the ruins of a mosque razed by Hindu zealots in 1992.

Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Jain and lower-caste Hindu clerics and political leaders issued a joint appeal to the more than 20 partners in the ruling alliance to withdraw their support immediately, AFP reported.

"All secular forces, and particularly the (religious) minorities, expect you to display the courage of your convictions by walking out of the alliance that is no longer now an agency of governance but a prison for your conscience," it said.

The appeal came as Vajpayee's government was censured Tuesday in Parliament for refusing to dismiss three ministers implicated in the razing of the Babri Mosque in the northern town of Ayodhya eight years ago.

The incident sparked nationwide Hindu-Muslim violence that claimed thousands of lives.

The petition said India's religious minorities had heard with "great shock" Vajpayee's remark that the campaign to build a Hindu temple on the debris of the Babri Mosque was an expression of "national sentiment" and an "unfinished" task.

"It is not too late. The people of India want you to take courage and boldly stand up to the (Hindu rightwing) Juggernaut," it said.

The appeal was signed by 13 prominent citizens, including Syed Ahmed Bukhari, head priest of New Delhi's historic Jama Masjid , New Delhi's Archbishop Vincent Concessao and Bhagwan Das, the head of a Buddhist organization.

Vajpayee's remark had caused a furore in both houses of Parliament, stalling legislative business for more than a week.

The prime minister clarified Tuesday that he had never specified that the temple should be built over the Babri rubble and said he was willing to hold an unconditional dialogue on the emotive issue.

The religious leaders Tuesday said Vajpayee's coalition partners had "looked on silently" while the government pandered to Hindu rightwingers, adding that Vajpayee's tenure had witnessed a spurt of attacks on religious minorities.

"In the wake of large-scale destruction of churches, he turned on the Christians instead of castigating (Hindu right-wingers) responsible for the acts."