'Ramar Sethu is real, party will enlighten people'

Chennai, Apr 4: Janata Party President Dr Subramanian Swamy today said his party would conduct a public meeting at Madurai on April 16 to draw the attention of the people to the fact that a 9000 year-old national heritage and an engineering wonder 'Ramar Sethu' (bridge) was being destroyed by the UPA government, for the Sethusamudram project.

Addressing a news conference here Dr Swamy recalled the fact that the 'Ramar Sethu', as a bridge like formation of shoal stones has already been shown to exist by satellite image photography of the US National Aeronatuics and Space Agency(NASA).

He also pointed out that the historicity of 'Ramar Sethu' was also established by scientific evidence that it is an ancient man made site. Scientists, whom President A P J Abdul Kalam recently consulted had also given him a written opinion last week to this effect based on geological studies according to informed sources, Dr Swamy also said.

He said in the wake of these reports, the President must immediately ask the Prime Minister to halt the dredging work on the present canal alignment cutting through the 'Ramar Sethu' and choose an alternative alignment which does not breach the 'ancient bridge' and is less costly.

During the public meeting in Madurai, his party would also announce the future course of agitation on this issue, Dr Swamy said.

Meanwhile, criticising the ruling DMK government and the AIADMK, on the Reservation issue, Dr Swamy alleged that desptie being in power for 60 years, the Dravidian Movement parties, after implementing 69 per cent Reservation, Tamil Nadu still has the third highest unemployment and poverty rates in the country.

Dr Swamy also alleged that in the Mullaperiyar Dam and Cauvery waters sharing issue, the ruling DMK government, despite the Supreme Court verdicts in Tamil Nadu's favour, has failed to safeguard the state's interest.

UNI