New Delhi:
The central government on Thursday shied from taking any stand on the plea by Janata Party President Subramanium Swamy that the mythological Ram Sethu in the Palk Strait be declared a national monument. The Supreme Court recorded that the central government does not intend to file its response to the petition of Mr Swamy.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Harin Rawal told the Court that the Centre had already filed its affidavit in 2008. The court replied that the 2008 affidavit is already on record, and asked if the Centre intends to file a fresh one. The ASG said the Centre is not filing any affidavit now.
After recording that the central government did not intend to file its response to Mr Swamy's plea, the court directed the matter be listed for further hearing in the third week of August.
The Supreme Court in its last hearing had asked the Centre to make its stand clear on granting national monument status to the structure.
Ram Sethu is described as a mythological bridge used by Lord Ram's Sena between India and Sri Lanka. This bridge is revered as a holy place by Hindus.
The case relating to Ram Sethu came under judicial scrutiny after a batch of petitions were filed in the Supreme Court, challenging the ambitious Sethusamudram project, which would allegedly cause damage to the Ram Setu bridge.
The Supreme Court had stayed the drudging across the Ram Sethusamudram project, aimed at constructing a shorter navigational route around India's southern tip by breaching the mythological Ram Sethu.