Finalising a middle path that satisfied the DMK leadership while allowing the Centre to avoid making a reference on the existence of Lord Rama, the UPA government on Thursday agreed on its affidavit on the Sethusamudram issue to be submitted to the Supreme court in which it will ask for vacation of stay on the project but will leave it to the apex court to take a stand on the faith issue.
A meeting of the Cabinet Committee of Political Affairs (CCPA), chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which met for a second time in three days, cleared the 90 page affidavit that is expected to be filed before the Supreme Court on March 5.
The renewed government stand has sought lifting of the stay on the project so that work can resume but the affidavit, sources have indicated, maintains that no archaeological study had been undertaken to determine whether Ram Setu was man-made or natural. Without any such survey, no final conclusion could be drawn on this aspect and therefore the court would have to give suitable directions, they added.
The UPA leadership had been in a dilemma on the issue as the shipping ministry has been pressing for pursuing the project urgently, whereas the culture ministry has been seeking to tread cautiously considering the possible flare up of religious sentiments. ?By not taking a clear cut stand on the issue, the government has decided to leave it to the Supreme Court to take a final call on the matter,? they said.
The other ministers who attended the CCPA meeting included external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee, power minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, culture minister Ambika Soni, law minister HR Bhardwaj and shipping minister TR Baalu.
An affidavit on the issue filed by the government in September last had created a furore as it raised questions over existence of Lord Ram. The government immediately withdrew the affidavit and suspended two officials of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for the goof-up.
Meanwhile, reiterating its stand on Ram Setu, the BJP on Monday said, the party would not have any problem with the Sethusamudram project, if the government opts for an alternative alignment.
When asked pointedly that now since the case is with the Supreme Court and the government would go by the court?s order, senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha said, ?We will wait for the court?s order.?
Seeking to dismiss ruling Congress? claim that the present alignment of the project was cleared during the NDA regime, Sinha said, repeatedly NDA ministers in-charge of concerned ministry had denied the allegation.