Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Nov 10: The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the Union Government to submit a rebuttal affidavit within four weeks in response to the plea submitted by Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Subramanian Swamy seeking the designation of Ram Setu as a National Historic Site.
Dr. Swamy informed the bench, which was made up of the Chief Justice of India, Justice D. Y. Chandrachud, Justice Hima Kohli, and Justice J.B. Pardiwala, that an adjournment letter had been circulated by the Union Government at the commencement of the hearing. He claimed that despite numerous orders from the Apex Court for the Union Government to file the rebuttal affidavit, this has not happened to this point.
The Union Government’s counsel told the court that the reply affidavit was prepared to be filed but was awaiting directions from the relevant Ministry.
Dr. Swamy emphasised that although the issue has been ongoing for almost 8 years, the Government has been unable to adopt a position.
After reviewing the arguments, the Bench gave the Center two weeks to file the counter-affidavit and Dr. Swamy another two weeks to file his response.
However, the Union Government’s counsel asked the Bench not to set a deadline of two weeks because it might take some time to obtain instructions from the Ministry.
The Bench thus gave four weeks for submitting the counter-affidavit and two more weeks for filing the response. Swamy brought up the need for the Ram Setu to be recognised as National Heritage in his 2007 argument opposing the Sethu Samundram Ship Channel project.
In order to connect Mannar and Palk Strait, an 83 km long channel was to be dug as part of the Setu Samundram project. The Ram Setu was said to be impacted by the project.
