Author: ET Bureau
Publication: The Economic Times
Date: February 25, 2013
URL: http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-02-25/news/37289371_1_ram-sethu-pachauri-committee-sethusamudram-project

The Centre's decision on pursuing the Sethusamudram project has sparked off a fresh political row, with BJP upping its ante against any tampering of the Ram Sethu saying it was a symbol of cultural and spiritual heritage.

 The UPA government had recently rejected the Pachauri panel report that says the project, which will cut through Ram Sethu, was not feasible on economic and ecological grounds.

"The government must find an alternative route. I am sure its possible with an objective mind. The Ram Sethu is a symbol of cultural and spiritual heritage... Why the keenness to destroy it? BJP is opposed to any kind of tampering with the Ram Sethu," party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Sunday.

 Maintaining that it concerned Hindu sentiments, Prasad said "the story of India is incomplete without Ram and the story of Ram is incomplete without the Ram Sethu".

 Six years ago, the Centre had created a flutter by filing an affidavit doubting the existence of Ram Sethu and Lord Rama in its response to the petition challenging the dredging of the geographical feature, now referred scientifically as Adam's Bridge.

 But, it had hurriedly withdrawn the affidavit from the apex court to quell a raging controversy over its stand.

 The Sethusamudram shipping channel project has faced protests from not only political parties but also environmentalists and Hindu religious groups. The ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu is also opposed to the project, but DMK, a UPA constituent, has been trying to put pressure on the Centre to go ahead with the project, saying it was a commitment given to the people of the state. DMK dubbed those opposing the project as having "vested interests". AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa wanted Ram Sethu to be declared a national monument.

 In an affidavit filed before the SC recently, the government has submitted that it had decided to reject the conclusions and recommendations of the Pachauri committee, which was formed in 2008 in the heat of the controversy over the project. In the affidavit, the government said it had already incurred 829.32 crore on the project as on June 30, 2012.