However, it allowed the dredging activity for the project to continue to the extent that it did not in anyway cause any destruction to the Ram Sethu
The Indian government had earlier said, there was no archaeological proof of the existence of such a bridge. But NASA satellite pictures have shown the presence of a land bridge on the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka.
The ASI says that Ram Sethu is a natural formation made up of shoals/sand bars, which are possessed of their particular shape or form due to several millennia of sand action and sedimentation.
A day after making a strident argument that Ram Sethu was destroyed by Lord Rama himself, the Centre has changed tack in the Supreme Court saying that the viability of going ahead with the Sethusamudram project through an alternative alignment has been taken up at the "highest level".
The Supreme Court on Tuesday posted the hearing on the Centre's plea, to go ahead with the Sethusamudram project, for April 29.The Centre had, on February 29, filed a fresh affidavit in the apex court seeking clearance to go ahead with the Sethusamudram project on the same alignment, saying issues of faith cannot be resolved through scientific evidence.The affidavit had sought the vacation of the apex court's interim orders directing not to damage the Ram Sethu.
The Centre on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that it had already come to the conclusion that the Ram Sethu doesn't fulfill the criteria for being declared a national monument."As far as we are concerned, the stand of the government is very clear that the Ram Sethu could not fulfil the criteria of a national monument," senior advocate Fali S Nariman, appearing for the Centre, told a bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan.
The Centre has appointed a six-member committee to consider issue of alternative route to save Ram Sethu.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Monday questioned the Centre's assertion before the Supreme Court that Lord Ram himself had destroyed the Ram Setu (Adam's bridge) and said it was a distortion of history."Nowhere in the Kamba Ramayan is it mentioned that Lord Ram destroyed the bridge. It is to appease Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, whose party is a partner in UPA, that Centre is doing such things," VHP president Ashok Singhal said.
In the absence of an unwell Atal Bihari Vajpayee, there was talk of the leadership issue, but there were no clear cut answers.
In an article in the Congress Sandesh, senior party leader Karan Singh said that the ASI shocked the nation by making certain sweeping statements that questioned the very existence of Lord Ram as a historical figure.
Bakshi and Chandrashekhar were put under suspension following the inquiry conducted by ASI Director General A Vaish, sources in New Delhi said.
Baalu denied there was a delay in carrying out the dredging programme and said the dredger of the DCI had resumed work after repairs to an instrument.
Promising to examine the entire issue relating to the Sethusamudram project, the government sought three months' time from the court.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 Union Government has submitted in the Supreme Court that the Ram Sethu was destroyed by Lord Rama himself while returning from Sri Lanka.
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.
The apex court said the ministry will inform the court about the decision taken by the Centre.
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
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.
The PIL says, "Lord Ram himself asked his disciples to make a pilgrimage to the Setu."
Former Union minister Murli Manohar Joshi will present the resolution at the executive and will be the point-person of the BJP on the issue.
"The first big mistake was the imposition of Emergency, the second one was their stand on the Shahbano case and the third error was the affidavit which negated the existence of Lord Ram. The govt has committed a blasphemous act" said L K Advani.
Serving an ultimatum, movement Joint Organiser Milind Parande told media persons in Coimbatore that the entire country will witness a strong agitation, if the government did not shelve the Sethusamudram Project or change its alignment by November 20.
"By stating before the Supreme Court that there is no proof that Ram Sethu is a place of worship or that it is an integral part of Hindu religion, the UPA has once again tried to abuse and hurt Hindu sentiments," party spokesperson Ravi Shanker Prasad told reporters in Delhi.
Advani accused the prime minister and Congress president of hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus.
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.
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.
Overcoming differences, the Centre on Thursday firmed up an affidavit on Sethusamudram project to be filed in the Supreme Court.
The chief minister said that there was no historical proof of Lord Ram's existence or his construction of the Ram Sethu.
Modi demanded action against UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Law Minister H R Bhardwaj on the issue and "misguiding" the court.
