A religious dispute is deepening in the Democratic Republic of Congo, following Muslim allegations that a Christian evangelist burned a copy of the Koran on television.

A general assembly of imams has demanded the government punish the priest, Kutino Fernando, for violating Islam.

They're planning a protest march through the capital, Kinshasa, and have threatened court action.

Mr Kutino denies he burned the Koran, saying it was a small booklet containing handwritten Muslim prayers which he had to destroy during the live conversion of a child from Islam to Roman Catholicism. The wealthy preacher, who owns the television station, draws huge crowds to Sunday meetings across Kinshasa.