Centre to SC: Process To Declare ‘Ram Setu’ As A National Heritage Monument Underway

The Central government on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that the process to declare ‘Ram Setu’ a national heritage monument is currently underway in the Ministry of Culture.

A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala allowed BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, to seek direction to the government to declare ‘Ram Setu’ as a national monument, to file representation to the Ministry in the issue. The apex court observed the Ministry that it will inform the court about the decision taken by the Centre.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who appeared for central government that the process is currently underway in the Ministry of Culture. He further added that if Swamy wants, he may submit additional communication.

Then CJI said to Swamy that can he meet the concerned person? Sawamy replied, “I do not want to meet anybody if they do not want to. We are in the same party (BJP), it was there in our manifesto. Let them decide in six weeks or four weeks…”

Then the Top court disposed of the plea and granted liberty to Swamy to approach the court if he is aggrieved by the decision of the Ministry of Culture. Earlier Swamy had said that the case has been pending for eight years but the government has not been able to respond to the plea.

The supreme court was hearing a plea filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy seeking to pass an order and direct the “Central government along with National Monuments Authority (NMA) to declare Ram Setu as an Ancient Monument of National Importance.”

He had also requested the apex court to pass an order and direct the “Union of India to engage the Geological Survey of India and Archeological Survey of India to conduct a detailed survey with respect to Ram Setu as an Ancient Monument of National Importance.”

Speaking to media, Swamy said that he has already won the first round of the litigation in which the Centre accepted the existence of ‘Ram Setu’ and added that the union minister concerned had called a meeting in 2017 to consider his demand to declare the Setu as a national heritage monument but subsequently nothing happened.

Ram Setu is a chain of limestone shoals between India and Srilanka which start from Pamban Island, also known as Rameswaram Island, off the south-eastern coast of Tamil Nadu, and Mannar Island, off the north-western coast of Sri Lanka.