Ram Setu can't be declared national monument: Centre

LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVES: UPA says going through an alternative alignment has been taken up at the highest level.

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New Delhi: The Centre on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that it had already come to a conclusion that Ram Setu does not fulfil the criteria for being declared a national monument.

"As far as we are concerned, the stand of the Government is very clear that Ram Setu could not fulfil the criteria of national monument," senior advocate Fali S Nariman, appearing for the Centre, told a Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan.

Further, on the issue of alternative alignment to avoid destruction of Ram Setu for the Sethusamudram project, he said, so far, he has not received any instruction from the Government.

Nariman said that he would receive some instructions by Wednesday.

A day after making a strident argument that Ram Setu was destroyed by Lord Ram himself, the Centre had on July 24 changed tack and said that the viability of going ahead with the Sethusamudram project through an alternative alignment has been taken up at the "highest level".

"The suggestion for alternative alignment to avoid Ram Setu route has been taken as a special case. I have personally taken it at the highest level. It is being scientifically examined. I will come back to you by Tuesday or Wednesday," Nariman had told the Bench.