SC to hear Ram Setu case on April 30

New Delhi, Apr 28 (UNI) The Supreme Court today agreed to hear the Ram Setu case as item number 1 on April 30.

A bench comprising Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan and Justices RV Raveendran and M K Sharma acceded to the request of senior counsel Fali S Nariman for listing the matter on the top of the board on Wednesday.

The Centre is pressing for vacation of interim stay granted by the apex court against the demolition of Ram Setu also known as Adam's Bridge while completing the work of dredging for completion of Sethusamudram project.

According to the Centre, most of the representations received by the government are in favour of speedy completion of the project.

The stand of the Central government and Tamil Nadu government is that there is no evidence that Ram Setu is man made and it is only a natural formation.

According to petitioners, including former Union Minister Subramanian Swamy, Ram Setu is a monument of national heritage and cannot be demolished because millions of Hindus across the globe believe that it was constructed by Lord Ram to reach Sri Lanka.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and Union Minister of State for Shipping T R Baalu are facing contempt of court proceedings for enforcing Tamil Nadu bandh on October 1, last year for speedy completion of Sethusamudram project, in violation of the apex court order dated September 30, 2007, directing the state government not to enforce the bandh. The Centre had to withdraw its controversial affidavit, denying the existence of characters and events described in Ramayana, in the face of public pressure.

UNI SC AM RP HS1524