New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) The Congress party Thursday welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court to defer Allahabad high court's judgment in the Ayodhya temple-mosque dispute by a week.

Congress general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi told reporters here that the "party respected the decision by the Supreme Court".

"Congress party's primary view is that issues like the Ayodhya dispute should be solved through dialogue between the concerned parties and communities," Dwivedi said.

"If the dialogue does not lead to a solution, then judicial means should be resorted to. In that case, everyone should respect the court verdict too," the Congress leader said.

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court was scheduled to pronounce verdict Friday on five title suits - four by Hindus and one by the Muslims, the Wakf Board - relating to the site in Ayodhya where the Babri mosque stood.

The mosque was demolished on 6 Dec, 1992, by Hindu radicals who claimed that the site is the birthplace of the Hindu god Lord Ram.

Hindu plaintiffs in the title suits have argued that the mosque was built in 1528 by a Mughal general after razing a temple at the site.