Centre Should Say Yes Or No On Declaring Ram Setu As National Heritage Site : Subramanian Swamy To Supreme Court

Rajya Sabha MP Dr Subramanian Swamy, once again mentioned the plea seeking National Heritage Status for the 'Ram Setu' before the Supreme Court of India. Swamy, appearing before the bench comprising CJI DY Chandrachud, Justice PS Narasimha, and Justice JB Pardiwala submitted that despite multiple requests, the Centre had yet not notified its stand on whether Ram Setu was to be given a National Heritage Status or not. 

In the last hearing, Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta had informed the Apex Court that the process to consider National Heritage Status for Ram Setu was underway in the Ministry of Culture. Today, Swamy contended–

"The Centre was asked to inform its stand on January 19 but nothing has been filed on record...They still have not given a decision saying yes or no- are they going to declare it a National Heritage site or not?"

CJI DY Chandrachud, while stating that another Constitution Bench was starting tomorrow assured Swamy that the plea will be listed by the Court. 

Swamy, who has been appearing as a party-in-person in the matter, has now expressed objections to the Centre not filing its affidavit in the matter, on multiple occasions. 

The issue seeking declaration of the Ram Setu as National Heritage was raised by Swamy in his 2007 plea against the Sethu Samundram Ship Channel project. Under the Setu Samundram project an 83 km long channel was to be created linking Mannar and Palk Strait by extensive dredging. The project was alleged to have an impact on the Ram Setu. The matter has been earlier mentioned by Dr. Swamy on a number of occasions.

Ram Setu is a bridge which is a chain of limestone shoals, off the south-eastern coast of Tamil Nadu. It runs from Pamban Island near Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu to Mannar Island, off the northern coast of Sri Lanka. The bridge has found mention in the Ramayana where it is state to have been constructed by Lord Rama to reach Lanka in order to save Sita.