The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has said it will not allow the Centre to go ahead with the Sethusamudram ship canal project as it posed a "challenge" to Indian culture.
The minister was earlier scheduled to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, but could not do so as the latter underwent a surgery on Saturday morning and had been advised rest.
The Ramar Sethu contained vast amounts of thorium, which could be used to generate four lakh MW of power, the VHP said.
Seeking to exert pressure on the Centre, United Progressice Alliance's key ally Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Thursday said "any weakened response" by it on the Ram Sethu issue would only "expose the betrayal of hope and promise" given to Tamil Nadu.
The saffron party also slammed Union Shipping Minister T R Baalu for announcing that the Sethu Samudram project will be completed in November next year saying his statement on the Vijayadashmi day was a 'deliberate attempt' to hurt the sentiments of crore of believers.
VHP international president Ashok Singhal told reporters in Chennai on Thursday that the meeting, to be held on June 15 and 16 at Haridwar, would also decide on a 'massive agitation' involving 50,000 people, in support of the Ram Sethu movement.
NASA in its space missions has documented the existence of a bridge on two occasions. The latest one was through Shuttle Radar Topography Mission aboard space shuttle Endeavour launched in February 2000.
The government on Monday told the Supreme Court that a high-level committee in its report has suggested that alternative alignment other than mythological Ram Sethu for Sethusamudram project was not economically and ecologically feasible.
The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Centre to place before it the report of prime minister-appointed expert panel on the feasibility of building an alternative shipping channel through Dhanuskodi instead of Ram Sethu around the country's southern tip.
The apex court said the ministry will inform the court about the decision taken by the Centre.
The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre to explore the possibility of conducting an archaeological survey as directed by the Madras high court to ascertain whether Ram Sethu could be declared an ancient monument.
The court, while clubbing her petition for hearing with other cases on the issue, was anguished that cases were being filed against the project, three years after it was cleared in 2005. "Nobody had ever seen the structure. Nobody had ever thought of declaring it as a national monument. The petition coming from Jayalalithaa is surprising," a bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan said.
After the fiasco over the affidavit on the issue in September last year, the government has been very cautious in drafting the affidavit this time, with even minute details being checked and cross-checked again and again. Discussions on the affidavit are underway involving Shipping Minister T R Baalu, Culture Minister Ambika Soni and Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar, sources said on Thursday.
The absence of Leader of Opposition L K Advani in Sunday's Ram Sethu rally has ruffled the feelings of the Sangh Parivar that seemed to have patched up after he was chosen to lead the BJP in the next Lok Sabha elections.
Ram Sethu, also known as Adam's bridge, is a chain of limestone shoals between Pamban Island, off the south-eastern coast of Tamil Nadu, and Mannar Island, off the north-western coast of Sri Lanka.
Kochi resident Xavier, who runs a business in the city, was arrested by the police for allegedly writing the threatening letter in the name of another person.
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When a resolution, moved by Chief Minister M K Stalin, to urge the Centre to implement the Sethusamudram ship canal project was taken up for discussion in the House members spoke on their party stand.
'It is nervous exhaustion.' 'Vikram has been working non-stop to complete his two underproduction films: R Ajay Gnanamuthu's Cobra and Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan.'
The top officer said that shadow police would be present at all shooting locations and raids would be carried out if information is received about use or sale of drugs.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear on July 26 the plea of Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy seeking a direction to the Centre to declare the 'Ram Setu' as a national heritage monument.
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Countering the claim in Lok Sabha, Shipping Minister T R Baalu, joined by DMK members, strongly objected to the issue being raised in the House on the ground that it was sub-judice.
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The Bharatiya Janata Party in Kerala is aiming to use the PM's visit as a springboard for its outreach campaign aimed at bringing youth and minorities into its fold.
Blaming the country's education system for the Centre's affidavit doubting the existence of Lord Ram, Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh chief K Sudarshan has called for a change in it to preserve the country's social values and identity.
'A director should be gifted with the right couple to show a love scene.' 'I was very lucky to have Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone in the love scene.' 'Just placing them in a frame together, it was something else.'
With the Centre ignoring the Pachauri Committee report advising against implementation of the controversial Sethusamundram project, eminent scientist R K Pachauri has said that he stands by the report and warned of serious ecological ramifications.
Karunanidhi asked Rajinikanth to talk to his "saint friends" in North India and convince them that the project would put the state on the path of development and therefore they should not protest against it
'Deepening and widening the Sethu canal, will provide a more direct route for some of the tsunami energy to travel and impact southern Kerala,' says Prof Tad S Murthy
Dominic Xavier wonders why two government departments say they have no idea about who created the Aarogya Sethu app.
Dravida Munetra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi on Tuesday accused the Jayalalithaa-led Tamil Nadu government of adopting 'double-standards' by opposing the Sethusamudram project in the Supreme Court and said it was a 'betrayal' of the state.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday favoured exploring the possibility of scientifically and "politically" viable solution to the controversial Sethusamudram project but the Centre questioned the religious grounds being raked up to block the venture.
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain the plea of Janata Party president Subramaniam Swamy seeking reconstitution of the expert committee to review the Sethusamudram project.
Union Shipping Minister T R Balu on Saturday said that the Centre will move the Supreme Court to seek permission for carrying out the project in the present route.
Shipping ministry officials said a new alignment for the canal would require fresh geological studies like soil testing, wave and sedimentation testing and, most importantly, an environmental impact assessment.
The PIL says, "Lord Ram himself asked his disciples to make a pilgrimage to the Setu."
Amazon Prime Video has doubled its content investments in India and announced as many as 41 new titles in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and English, thereby throwing an open challenge to their streaming competitor, Netflix.
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The Centre was on Thursday granted more time by the Supreme Court to decide whether the mythological Ram Setu could be declared a national monument.
