Patna, Oct 17: The Patna High Court today directed the Bihar and Union governments to file counter-affidavits on a writ petition seeking the court's directive against alleged measures taken to prevent Ram bhakts from reaching Ayodhya for VHP's 'Sankalp' rally. After a brief hearing on the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a former state joint secretary of VHP and two others, a division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Nagendra Roy and Justice R S Garg directed the counsels of state and Union governments to seek necessary instructions from the respective governments and file counter-affidavits in the case by next Tuesday when the matter would come up for hearing. The petitioners had alleged that they were prevented from going to Ayodhya at Gopalganj (the native district of Chief Minister Rabri Devi and RJD leader Laloo Prasad Yadav) and Patna in violation of their Fundamental Rights. Petitioner's counsel Bhupendra Singh during the hearing wanted to know whether it was within the constitutional right of a government to make discrimination between Hindus and Muslims in matters of performing religious rites and visiting places sacred to them. Bureau Report