Road, rail rokho on Sep 12 against Ramsetu demolition

Coimbatore, Sep 9: The Rameswaram Ram Sethu Protection Movement will put-up road blockades and organise rail roko across the country on September 12, demanding that the mythical bridge be declared a national monument and saved from demolition to make way for the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project.

Addressing a press conference here today, Hindu Munnani founder-leader and Movement leader Rama Gopalan said the Movement was left with no alternative, but to take up such an agitation for three hours between 0800 hrs and 1100 hrs following the Union Government turning a mute spectator to public resentment to the project.

Coming down heavily on Union Shipping Minister T R Baalu, he said Mr Baalu was in a hurry to complete the project before 2008, disregarding public opinion against the project, expressed in most democratic methods by religious leaders of various denominations, eminent personalities and scientists.

He alleged that the Communist parties were pressurising the Tamil Nadu Government to acquire the lands of all Hindu temples and distribute it to the landless farmers. He wondered whether the State Government would do the same in respect of other religious places.

UNI