Swamy challenges Baalu on Rama Sethu, calls for White Paper

Chennai, May 22 (UNI) Queering the pitch on the controversy over the Ramar Sethu bridge, Janata Party President Dr subramanian Swamy today demanded that Union Environment Minister T R Baalu make public in the form of a White Paper, the survey on the bridge conducted by the UPA government for the Sethusamudram canal project.

Addressing a press conference here he also challenged Mr Baalu to a debate with him here in the presence of 'judges' appointed under the auspices of the Press Club, on the issue whether the bridge was man made or not and built by the 'vanara sena'to enable Lord Ram to reach Lanka.

He also warned that he would challenge in court, Mr Baalu's contention that there was no evidence to prove that the bridge was a man made structure during the period of the Ramayana had any heritage value.

He pointed out that not only the NASA of USA but also India's Earth Science Department had confirmed the existence and it's construction 9000 years ago. NASA had proved that the formation of shoal stones from Dhanushkodi to Talaimannar was constructed by the vanar sena led by Sri Hanuman and Sri Rama.

Dr Swamy said he was not contesting the issue on religious grounds as being claimed by the DMK leadership. ''The bridge is a monument with heritage value'', he contended.

He said his party as well as those opposed to the destruction of Rama Sethu would have no objection if the Sethu canal was constructed using ''route or alignment 4'' as suggested earlier by NEERI. This would be cheaper and quicket as the dreging would have to be done only in land and the bridge would be intact, he added.

The ''routes 5 and 6'' as proposed presently to dig the canal, would cut through the Rama Sethu or Adam's Bridge, he contended.

UNI