Digital Desk: The Supreme Court decided on Wednesday to hear BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's petition for a directive to the Centre to declare the 'Ram Setu' a national cultural site on March 9. Swamy said a bench comprising of Chief Justice N V Ramana, Justices A S Bopanna and Hima Kohli that the petition had not been heard in many months and that it should not be removed from the cause list.
"We will list for hearing on March 9," the bench said.
Swamy had mentioned his plea for urgent hearing on April 8 last year as well.
Previously, on January 23, 2020, the Supreme Court stated that it will review Swamy's request in three months.
Ram Setu, also known as Adam's Bridge, is a series of limestone shoals that connects Pamban Island, also known as Rameswaram Island, off the southern coast of Tamil Nadu, with Mannar Island, off the northwestern coast of Sri Lanka.
The BJP politician said he had already won the first phase of the case, in which the Centre acknowledged Ram Setu's existence.
He went on to say that the Union minister in question had arranged a meeting in 2017 to discuss his request, but nothing had come of it.
In his PIL against the contentious Sethusamudram Ship Channel project, the BJP leader addressed the subject of making the Ram Setu a national monument.
The case was heard by the Supreme Court, which had already halted progress on the Ram Setu project in 2007.
The Centre later stated that it had studied the project's "socioeconomic problems" and was prepared to pursue alternative way to the shipping channel project without jeopardising the Ram Setu.
"That the Government of India intends to explore an alternative to the earlier alignment of Skeletomuscular Ship Channel project without affecting/damaging the Adam's Bridge/Ram Setu in the interest of the nation," the affidavit filed by the ministry had said.
The court had then asked the government to file a fresh affidavit.
Some political parties, environmentalists, and Hindu religious organisations have voiced opposition to the Sethusamudram shipping canal proposal. The project called for substantial dredging and the elimination of limestone shoals to build an 83-kilometer-long deep water canal connecting Mannar and Palk Strait.
On November 13, 2019, the Supreme Court allowed the Centre six weeks to clarify its position on the Ram Setu. It had also given Swamy the right to go to court if the responsibility was not met.
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