Rama Sethu: UPA’s U turn

NT Bureau
Chennai, May 29 :

In a sudden U- turn, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre, which had so far claimed that there is no Ramar bridge, today submitted in the Madras High Court that ‘Rama Himself destroyed the ancient bridge.’

The founder organiser of Hindu Munnani Ramagopalan and former Union Minister and Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy had filed separate writ petitions in the Madras High Court seeking to restrain the Centre from demolishing the Ramar bridge for the Sethu Samudram project. When their petitions came up on 15 May, the Central government was asked to file counter before 29 May.

Meanwhile, when the petition of Swamy came up for hearing today before a division bench of Justices Jothimani and Sudhakar, he himself appeared and the Union government was represented by Assistant Solicitor general Wilson. As the Centre did not file counter petition, the case was adjourned to 14 June.

When the petition of Ramagopalan came up later a counter was filed on behalf of Union Shipping and Surface transport secretary, Archeological Survey of India Director and others.

In the counter petition it was stated that the Sethu Samudram Ship Canal project was launched only after hearing the views of the general public.

The Ministry of Environment had also cleared the project. Though a case is pending in the Supreme Court no orders or injunction was given against the project.

Ramar bridge is imaginary and is not scientifically proved. To dredge the Adams bridge 230 crores have been spent and it is only a chain of sand shoals. It is is not Ramar bridge.

‘It had also been stated in the Tamilnadu government gazette that when Rama returned from Lanka he himself destroyed the bridge by shooting it with an arrow’. Hence the petition should be dismissed, it was stated in the petition filed by the Union government.

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