Jayalalithaa attacked the Centre for "hastily implementing the Sethusamudram project without taking note of the adverse impact on the environment."
BJP, AIADMK oppose the project while DMK and CPI(M) support the Sethusamudram shipping project across the Palk Strait. T E Narasimhan reports
Speaking at a public meeting organised by the Sethusamudram Protection Committee in Chennai on Wednesday night, he said anyone trying to stall the project was an enemy of the nation and was acting against the interests of the state.
Janata Party Chief Subramanian Swamy on Friday moved the Supreme Court seeking scrapping of the controversial Sethusamudram project claiming that a government expert body has doubted its feasibility.
The project involves dredging the stretch of water between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka to make it navigable for ships.
Protesting the government's decision to go ahead with the Sethusamudram project, the Sangh Parivar and its affiliated organisations on Wednesday staged road blockades at various places in Mumbai and Delhi.
Lok Sabha adjourned for the day on Wednesday following uproar over the Sethusamudram project.
The project is currently under litigation after environmental concerns were raised against the plan of linking the PalkBay and the Gulf of Mannar by creating a shipping channel through the shallow sea, says Ruchika Chitravanshi.
Announcing the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs decision, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said a Special Purpose Vehicle would be set up for the project.
The BJP has accused the government of attempting to destroy evidence of the existence of ancient 'Ram Setu' (bridge) linking India and Sri Lanka through the Sethusamudram ship channel alignment.
The Centre has been divided over the stand to be taken by it on the issue. The Culture Ministry wanted to be cautious on the issue by saying that no study has been conducted on whether the Ram Sethu between India and Sri Lanka was man-made or natural. The Shipping Ministry, however, wanted to state clearly in the affidavit that the bridge had been formed naturally.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi on Monday mounted a blistering attack on the Tamil Nadu government over its opposition to the Rs 2,400 crore Sethusamudram project and asked his partymen to be prepared to sacrifice their lives for its implementation.
Baalu also said that the memorandum of understanding with the Suez Canal Company had been initialled by the Chairman of the Tuticorin Port Trust, K Raghupathy.
Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK and its allies have called a state-wide general strike on October 1 to press for the speedy implementation of the Sethusamudram project. A resolution to this effect was adopted at a meeting of DMK and its allies.
The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to list for hearing a PIL filed by former Rajya Sabha lawmaker Subramanian Swamy seeking a direction to the Centre to declare the Ram Setu as a national heritage monument.
The apex court said the ministry will inform the court about the decision taken by the Centre.
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.
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.
Rulers in New Delhi and their political aides in sensitive states like Tamil Nadu have to be doubly careful not to provoke a situation whose consequences may be much more than visible now to the naked eye, notes N Sathiya Moorthy.
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.
The government on Thursday cleared the long-delayed Sethusumudram Ship Canal Project off Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu that would vastly reduce distance between east and west coasts of India.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear on March 9 Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy's plea seeking a direction to the Centre to declare 'Ram Setu' a national heritage monument.
In an article in the latest issue of its party organ People's Democracy, he said the Constitution, while protecting the right of the individual's choice of faith, also seeks to encourage scientific enquiry and spirit.
"That the Government of India intends to explore an alternative to the earlier alignment of Sethusamudram Ship Channel project without affecting/damaging the Adam's Bridge/Ram Sethu in the interest of the nation," the affidavit filed by the shipping ministry said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's Tamil Nadu unit on Thursday said Ram Setu should not be "affected at any cost" and demanded that the multi-million crore rupees Sethusamudram project be implemented without demolishing the structure.
The PILs were submitted by Rama Gopalan, President, Hindu Munnani and Subramanian Swamy, Janata party President.
After the Supreme Court banned a bandh planned by the the ruling alliance on Monday, Karunanidhi said he will fast demanding the early completion of the Sethu Samudram canal project.
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.
Shipping Minister T R Baalu cites a Narmada Bachao Andolan vs Union of India case from 2000 to butress his point that the work has to continue.
Nobody is opposing the Sethu Samudram Project, only a realignment of the route is being asked, as the present one destroys the Ram Setu.
Union Shipping Minister T R Baalu would monitor the project to ensure that physical and financial targets were met and a separate mechanism was being set up in the Shipping Ministry to monitor the project.
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 Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday warned the government against going ahead with the Sethusamudram project, saying the sentiments of crores of Hindus are attached to the issue and it will not tolerate any tampering with the Ram Setu.
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.
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 government on Monday failed to give a time-frame to place before the Supreme Court the report of the expert committee examining the feasibility of the controversial Sethusamudram project through Dhanuskodi instead of Rama Sethu.
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