CHENNAI: DMK Chief M Karunanidhi on Sunday called on the Centre to take steps to present a strong case before the Supreme Court on the Sethusamundram shipping channel project sought to be blocked by "communal forces".
Flaying the BJP and the AIADMK for their stand on the project, Karunanidhi said the national party, while in power, had proposed the alignment for the project which involved dredging of 'Ram Sethu', the mythical bridge believed to have been built by Lord Ram to cross over to Lanka. Now it is firmly opposed to the project.
"After considering various proposals over the route, the Vajpayee-led NDA government had decided to implement the project on alignment No 6 which involves the Ram Sethu, called Adam's Bridge. Forgetting that, it is now opposing dredging of Ram Sethu," he said.
The Pachauri Committee has said the shipping channel project is not viable on economic and ecological grounds. The government has rejected the report and maintained that it intends to pursue the project which will cut through the Adam's Bridge.
On the AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa's demand to the prime minister that Ram Sethu be declared a national monument, Karunanidhi said she had claimed in 2005 that it was due to her efforts that preliminary work on the project was initiated in 1998 and that she had been instrumental in its taking shape.
The AIADMK had in its 2001 poll manifesto spoken in favour of the Sethusamudram project, he said, adding she had turned against it since she didn't want DMK to take the credit.
"Some communal forces had taken the issue to the apex court with a view to creating roadblocks," he said.
Karunanidhi slams AIADMK, BJP over stand on Sethusamudram
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Karunanidhi slams AIADMK, BJP over stand on Sethusamudram
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Karunanidhi slams AIADMK, BJP over stand on Sethusamudram
