Sethu row: DMK mounts pressure on Centre
The DMK has renewed pressure for moving ahead with the controversial Sethusamudram canal project by asking the Manmohan Singh government not to pay heed to the “untenable” arguments.
By TNN |
NEW DELHI: The DMK has renewed pressure for moving ahead with the controversial Sethusamudram canal project by asking the Manmohan Singh government not to pay heed to the “untenable” arguments raised by “some people for political gains”.
In his customary address to the Tamil Nadu assembly on Wednesday, governor S S Barnala said the project, a long-pending dream of the people of Tamil Nadu, had been studied since 1860 during the British rule and found feasible by engineering stalwarts. It was also “considered desirable” by scholars and eminent personalities, he said.
The DMK government’s strong backing for the project coincides with desperate attempts on the part of the Congress leadership to deny the BJP an opportunity to put the ruling party at the Centre and its government in the anti-Hindu column. A meeting of the Congress leadership here on Monday, which discussed the issue, was of the view that the government should move cautiously on the issue. The leadership is also expected to examine the affidavit that the Centre plans to file in the Supreme Court on the matter.
The dredging work at Ram Sethu area was stayed by the Supreme Court on a batch of writ petitions seeking to stop demolition of the mythological bridge believed to have been constructed by Lord Ram to cross over to Lanka.
An earlier affidavit filed by the government had put the Centre in a spot as it questioned the existence of Lord Ram. In the affidavit, the Centre had stated that the contents of the Valmiki Ramayana, Tulsidas’ Ramcharitmanas and other mythological texts cannot be a historical record to prove the existence of the characters mentioned in the book.
Referring to the Ramayana, the affidavit said there was no “historical record” to incontrovertibly prove the existence of the character, or the occurrences of the events, depicted in it. This triggered a major controversy with the BJP painting the government as anti-Hindu. The Congress had to pay a heavy price as BJP made it a campaign theme in the assembly elections to Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.
That the DMK does not share the Congress views was again made clear by the governor’s address. Mr Barnala said the project has potential to contribute to the strength and development of India by expanding international and maritime trade.
“This government urges the Union government not to go back on its endeavour to transform the future of people of Tamil Nadu to one of progress and prosperity and to continue with implementation of this unique and constructive project.
The Centre should not pay heed to the untenable and contradictory arguments now raised by a few for political gains,” the governor said in his address to the state assembly.
In his customary address to the Tamil Nadu assembly on Wednesday, governor S S Barnala said the project, a long-pending dream of the people of Tamil Nadu, had been studied since 1860 during the British rule and found feasible by engineering stalwarts. It was also “considered desirable” by scholars and eminent personalities, he said.
The DMK government’s strong backing for the project coincides with desperate attempts on the part of the Congress leadership to deny the BJP an opportunity to put the ruling party at the Centre and its government in the anti-Hindu column. A meeting of the Congress leadership here on Monday, which discussed the issue, was of the view that the government should move cautiously on the issue. The leadership is also expected to examine the affidavit that the Centre plans to file in the Supreme Court on the matter.
The dredging work at Ram Sethu area was stayed by the Supreme Court on a batch of writ petitions seeking to stop demolition of the mythological bridge believed to have been constructed by Lord Ram to cross over to Lanka.
An earlier affidavit filed by the government had put the Centre in a spot as it questioned the existence of Lord Ram. In the affidavit, the Centre had stated that the contents of the Valmiki Ramayana, Tulsidas’ Ramcharitmanas and other mythological texts cannot be a historical record to prove the existence of the characters mentioned in the book.
Referring to the Ramayana, the affidavit said there was no “historical record” to incontrovertibly prove the existence of the character, or the occurrences of the events, depicted in it. This triggered a major controversy with the BJP painting the government as anti-Hindu. The Congress had to pay a heavy price as BJP made it a campaign theme in the assembly elections to Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.
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That the DMK does not share the Congress views was again made clear by the governor’s address. Mr Barnala said the project has potential to contribute to the strength and development of India by expanding international and maritime trade.
“This government urges the Union government not to go back on its endeavour to transform the future of people of Tamil Nadu to one of progress and prosperity and to continue with implementation of this unique and constructive project.
The Centre should not pay heed to the untenable and contradictory arguments now raised by a few for political gains,” the governor said in his address to the state assembly.
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