The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : BJP not against Sethu project: Ganesan

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Friday, May 18, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

BJP not against Sethu project: Ganesan

Special Correspondent

DMK accused of being obstinate on Ramar Sethu issue "All we say is change the alignment and go for a shorter route."

L .Ganesan

CHENNAI: Those who are for the demolition of the Ramar Sethu have no locus standi to speak about the patriotic spirit of the Bharatiya Janata Party, its State unit president L. Ganesan said here on Thursday.

Referring to the observations of Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi at a public meeting in the city on Wednesday, Mr. Ganesan told reporters that his party was not against the Sethusamudram project.

"All we say is change the alignment and go for a shorter route."

There were choices regarding the alignment and if any of the earlier alignments were selected, the demolition of the Sethu would not arise, Mr. Ganesan said.

Accusing the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam of being obstinate on the Ramar Sethu issue, Mr. Ganesan said: "If they are open-minded, we can explain to them with the help of experts about the existence of the Ramar Sethu. What is there to say if they are adamant?"

Quoting from historical documents, Mr. Ganesan sought to explain the presence of the Sethu. Responding to Mr. Karunanidhi's contention that it was the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance Government that cleared the present alignment, he said according to his information, only the report of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute was received during the previous regime.

NDA cleared alignment

Even if one accepted, for argument's sake, that the NDA regime had cleared the alignment, could it not have been changed when there were serious objections, he asked.

He recalled that the DMK Government changed its decision on establishing a satellite township in the wake of the Pattali Makkal Katchi's opposition, and the Left Front Government in West Bengal reversed its stand on Nandigram following public protests.

Calling the Sethu a heritage monument, Mr. Ganesan said the BJP would consider organising an agitation to demand its inclusion in UNESCO's list of world heritage sites.

Future action

The State executive would meet in Mannargudi on Friday and chalk out the further course of action, he said, adding that the party's national general secretary (organisation) Ram Lal would attend the meeting of the executive.

S. Kalyaraman, Indologist, made a presentation on the Ramar Sethu.

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