Cabinet panel approves Sethu affidavit

Overcoming differences, the Centre on Thursday firmed up an affidavit on Sethusamudram project to be filed in the Supreme Court.

 

The 90-page affidavit, which will seek vacation of stay on the controversial project, was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs.

 

The Centre has been divided over the stand to be taken by it on the issue. The Culture Ministry wanted to be cautious on the issue by saying that no study has been conducted on whether the "Ram Sethu" between India and Sri Lanka was man-made or natural.

 

The Shipping Ministry, however, wanted to state clearly in the affidavit

that the bridge had been formed naturally.

 

According to Hindu beliefs, the bridge was built by Lord Ram while crossing the sea to reach Lanka. The CCPA, headed by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, was attended by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Energy Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, Culture Minister Ambika Soni, Law Minister HR Bharadwaj and Shipping Minister TR Baalu among others.

 

The government last time referred to issues like Lord Ram in the affidavit that created a controversy. The Supreme Court on January 31 had granted another four weeks of extension to the Centre to file affidavit by the first week of March.