Sethusamudram: Plea to be submitted in High Court
Narsinghpur, MP, May 30 (UNI) Dwarkapeeth Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati has said that a plea would be submitted in the Madras High Court in the context of the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project.
''While hearing a petition (challenging the Project), the Supreme Court on May 28 asked the petitioner to approach the authorities for necessary relief. The Centre should instantly heed the protest by the four shankaracharyas,'' he told UNI.
Pointing out that the Madras Gazetteer mentioned the Ram Setu, the seer expressed confidence that the High Court would halt the Project in a month.
''The shankaracharyas deliberated at Bangalore. It is not proper to demolish the Setu -- a great place of pilgrimage -- merely for facilitating ship movement. It is also environmentally crucial,'' he added.
Reacting to Union Minister T R Baalu's statements, the seer felt that the demolition should be halted until the Setu's origin was proved as it would be impossible to rebuild it if it turned out to be the bridge referred to in Valmiki's Ramayana.
''It is true that the Project's proposal was drafted during Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee's premiership but the present regime initiated implementation,'' the Shankaracharya said.
Expressing satisfaction over the protest campaign, he claimed that the public was vociferously supporting the cause. ''I have visited Delhi, West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and other states over this issue. Before people take to the streets and indulge in violence, governments should realise the gravity of the situation and take steps,'' he warned.
UNI