Ram Setu alignment against Indian interests : BJP

New Delhi, June 25 (UNI) Asserting that the historic Ram Setu, probably the world's first ever oversea bridge built during the Ramayana era, the BJP today said that the work on the present alignment was unsuitable.

The resolution, moved by Dr Murli Manohar Joshi after a presentation by World Bank expert Kalyan Raman, made it clear that the BJP was not against Sethu Samudram Project linking eastern and western coasts in the peninsular India but was opposing its present alignment.

BJP Spokesman Prakash Javadekar said the present alignment would go against Indian interests as it did not accept Indo-Sri Lankan agreement treating the waters between the two countries as historic waters. The breaching of Ram Sethu would not only create environmental disaster for aquatic life but also squander away the sands of rich thorium deposits capable of providing fuel for 400,000 lakh mw of power for 400 years. The project will unnecessarily bring in dispute about international waters very near to Indian shores.

The region would be open to great devastations in the event of future Tsunamis. The BJP is concerned that the UPA Government particularly Shipping Minister T R Baalu would implement the controversial alignment ignoring the opinions voiced by internationally recognised experts. The resolution said even people not aligned with the BJP, Justice V R Krishna Iyer and Justice K T Thomas had opposed the project as it was hostile to the nation and its swaraj. "It is indeed shocking that even after mounting opposition from all quarters, the UPA government was completely insensitive to the popular demand and has adopted stoic silence on the issue. The Government led by UPA Chairman Sonia had utter disregard for the sentiments of crores of Hindus and other communities,'' the party said.

UNI