Swamy to move court for declaring 'Ramar Sethu' as ancient monument

Chennai, May 30 (UNI) Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy, spearheading a campaign to protect ''Rama Sethu,'' today said he would soon move the Madras High Court to declare it as a ''National Ancient Monument.'' Talking to newspersons here, Dr Swamy said he would also urge the court to constitute an independent commission comprising experts to investigate how Rama Sethu came to be constructed.

Referring to the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by him in the Madras High Court on Rama Sethu, he claimed the Centre was finding it difficult to file a counter affidavit in view of the stand taken by the Earth Sciences Department.

The department had stated the said causeway, Rama Sethu, was not a natural phenomenon but was 'constructed' and was at least 10,000 years old, he claimed.

He said the Janata Party did not intend to stop the implementation of the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project or try to play with religious sentiments. But it was determined to protect the Ramar Sethu.

He said the authorities could choose an alternative alignment to prevent damage to the structure. He wondered why the present alignment had been chosen when there were alternatives.

UNI