Plea in SC seeks 'Ram Sethu' be declared as national monument
New Delhi, Mar 26: A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking that the Ram Sethu be declared as a national monument.
The PIL, filed by advocate Ashok Pandey, also seeks construction of a wall at the spot to facilitate devotees. On March 20, the top court had said that it will list at the earliest a petition by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy seeking a direction to the Centre to declare the Ram Sethu as a national heritage monument.
Ram Sethu, also known as Adam's bridge, is a chain of limestone shoals between Pamban Island, off the south-eastern coast of Tamil Nadu, and Mannar Island, off the north-western coast of Sri Lanka.
Swamy had raised the issue of declaring the Ram Sethu a national monument in his PIL against the controversial Sethusamudram Ship Channel project, initiated by the UPA-I government.
The matter reached the apex court, which in 2007 stayed work for the project on the Ram Sethu.
The Centre later said it had considered the ''socio-economic disadvantages'' of the project and was willing to explore another route to the shipping channel project without damaging the Ram Sethu.
The Sethusamudram shipping channel project has been facing protests from some political parties, environmentalists and certain Hindu religious groups.
Under the project, an 83 km water channel was to be created, linking Mannar with Palk Strait, by extensive dredging and removal of limestone shoals.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Haryana Congress expels 13 for contesting assembly polls as independents
Chandigarh (PTI): The Haryana unit of Congress on Friday expelled thirteen party leaders for "anti-party activities" over their decision to contest as independent candidates against the party's official picks for the assembly polls.
They were being expelled for six years with immediate effect to curb indiscipline in the party, the Congress said.
Naresh Dhande (Guhla SC seat), Pardeep Gill (Jind), Sajjan Singh Dhull (Pundri), Sunita Battan (Pundri), Rajiv Mamuram Gondar (Nilokheri-SC), Dayal Singh Sirohi (Nilokheri-SC), Vijay Jain (Panipat Rural), Dilbag Sandil (Uchana Kalan), Ajit Phogat (Dadri), Abhijeet Singh (Bhiwani), Satbir Ratera (Bawani Khera-SC), Nitu Mann (Prithla) and Anita Dhull Badsikri (Kalayat) have been expelled as per a party order issued by Congress state unit chief Udai Bhan.
Notably, there were many party leaders who were upset over being denied tickets to contest the October 5 Haryana Assembly polls, but the party had later managed to pacify most of them.
For the Congress, senior leader and former minister Sampat Singh had withdrawn his nomination from Nalwa seat after filing papers while another leader Ram Kishen 'Fauji' also withdrew from the race from Bawani Khera segment.
From Ambala City, former MLA Jasbir Malaur withdrew from the contest against Congress's nominee and former minister Nirmal Singh.
However, Nirmal Singh's daughter, Chitra Sarwara, a Congress rebel, is contesting from Ambala Cantt seat. The party has already taken action against her.
