Modi demands action against Sonia, PM - Hindu Janajagruti Samiti

Pavijetpur (Gujarat): Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today demanded action against UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Law Minister H R Bharadwaj for withdrawing the affidavit filed in the Supreme Court on the Sethusamudaram project, saying it amounted to contempt of court.

"Anybody who does an U-turn after filing an affidavit in court is committing contempt and thus is liable to be punished for having misguided the court," he told a rally of tribals in Vadodara district.

Modi said he was not satisfied with the withdrawal of the affidavit and threatended to launch a protest on the issue "because his heart was burning after the affidavit questioned the existence of Lord Ram".

The BJP leader, who faces assembly elections in three months, had yesterday attacked Gandhi in the context of the Ram Setu issue.

"What would an Italian know about Ram? Sonia was born in Italy and Lord Ram in Hindustan. Hence, there is little possibility of her knowing anything about the existence of Lord Ram," Modi had told a tribal rally at Mandvi in Surat district.

"Our faith is Hinduism and we do not need a certificate from anyone on Lord Ram’s existence."

Source: chennaionline.com

Updates:

Modi demands action against Sonia, PM (16 Sept 07)
Ram Sethu affidavit: Two ASI officials suspended (15 Sept 07)
Centre withdraws Ram Sethu affidavits in SC (14 Sept)
Government to withdraw affidavit on Lord Ram (13 Sept)
No question of withdrawal of Ram affidavit: Centre (13 Sept 07)
Govt’s affidavit on Ram Sethu is blasphemous: BJP (13 Sept 07)
VHP activists protest against Sethu samudram project (12 Sept 07)

Ram Sethu affidavit: Two ASI officials suspended

September 15, 2007

New Delhi: Heads rolled in the government in the wake of the controversy over the Supreme Court affidavit on Ram Sethu with two senior officials of Archaeological Survey of India being suspended.

Bakshi and Chandrashekhar were put under suspension following the inquiry conducted by ASI Director General A Vaish, sources in New Delhi said.

The inquiry was ordered by the secretary of Union culture ministry and the action against the two ASI officials was taken on the basis of its report submitted by Vaish on Friday, the sources said.

The suspension was approved by Union Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni who returned here from a tour of Japan, they said.

The ASI affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, which said there was no historical or scientific proof about the existence of Lord Ram or Ram Sethu as a man-made bridge, had set off a huge political storm with BJP attacking the government accusing it of hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus.

The government promptly went into a damage-control exercise following a directive from Congress president Sonia Gandhi and withdrew its two affidavits questioning the existence of Lord Ram and Ram Sethu.

Source: Rediff news

Centre withdraws Ram Sethu affidavits in SC

September 14, 2007

New Delhi: The Central government on Friday withdrew its two affidavits, including the controversial one filed by Archeological Survey of India, in the Supreme Court on the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project.

Appearing before a bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice R V Raveendran, Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium said the Union government will set up a committee to re-examine the entire Ram Sethu issue.

It was mentioned in the controversial affidavit that there was no evidence to prove the existence of Lord Ram. This had created a furore across the nation, following which the government decided to withdraw the affidavit.

Subramanyam told the Supreme Court that the government will form a committee shortly, which will be entrusted with the task of hearing the grievances of the people including the petitioners on this issue.

"The government has total respect for all religions, and Hinduism in particular, in the context of the present case. The government is alive and conscious of religious sensibilities, including the unique, ancient and holy text of Ramayana," the ASG told the court.

"The government is also keen that its decisions bind and bring the society together rather than cause any disruption in the religious and social psyche of one true India," Subramaniam said.

Promising to examine issues relating to the Sethusamudram project, the government sought three months’ time from the court. In accordance with the government’s request, the court posted the matter for hearing in the first week of January, 2008.

No damage to Ram Sethu:

The government was committed to the Sethusamudram canal project, Subramanyam said, adding that the government was abiding by the earlier interim order of the court that had restrained them from damaging the bridge.

He, however, said that they would go ahead with the dredging work on the project as there was no court order restraining them from doing so.

It was further submitted that the matter pertaining to the Sethu will be decided as per the suggestions and feedback given by the general public. He also said that people could write into the government with their suggestions as it may be difficult for the committee to give each one a personal hearing on the matter.

The committee, which will be constituted in a week’s time, according to sources will hear the grievances and submit a report to the government. This report will then be placed before the Supreme Court, which is seized of the matter.

Subramanyam further submitted that the controversial affidavit did not at any point of time intend to touch upon the freedom/articles of faith or belief of any section of society.

"The centre respects each and every individual within the parameters of the Constitution, and acknowledges every citizen’s fundamental right to feel a part of the composite cultural and religious heritage of the country," the additional solicitor general told the court.

Source: http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/sep/14sethu.htm

Government to withdraw affidavit on Lord Ram

September 13, 2007

New Delhi: The Centre will withdraw “offending remarks” from an affidavit which said there is no scientific or historical evidence to prove the existence of Lord Ram.

“Lord Ram is an integral part of Hindu faith” and his existence can never be doubted, said Union Law Minister H R Bharadwaj. He announced the Government would on Friday file a supplementary affidavit on the Sethusamudram canal project before the Supreme Court and the Archaeological Survey of India’s affidavit will be cleansed of offending remarks.

The ASI affidavit, which was filed to explain the Government’s position on the Sethusamudram project, embarrassed the Government and gave ammunition to its political rivals, as it claimed that mythological texts cannot be regarded as “historical record” and they don’t prove the existence of characters mentioned in those texts.

Sources tell CNN-IBN Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has sought a clarification from the Government on the affidavit and take “remedial measures”.

The controversy has given the BJP a chance to embarrass the government. Party president Rajnath Singh on Thursday rejected the Government’s explanation and demanded an “unqualified” apology.

"Why is there a picture of Ram and Krishna in the Constitution if Ram or Krishna did not exist ? And why did Gandhiji, the Father of the Nation show us the dream of ‘Ramrajya’? Were all these fictitious ?" Singh said in Agartala.

Such an affidavit (filed by the ASI) directly hurts the religious belief of the majority of the people of our country. The affidavit may trigger inter-religious conflict in the country," he said.

Unless the Centre apologises for the affidavit and withdraws it, BJP would support the VHP-RSS demand for scrapping of the Sethusamudram project in Rameswaram.

BJP wants dismissal of minister over Ram affidavit

The Bharatiya Janata Party Thursday demanded that the minister involved in approving the government affidavit that said there is no evidence to establish existence of Lord Ram be dismissed.

"Any minister, whether culture or of any other portfolio, (Ambika Soni is minister for culture) if found involved in approving this blasphemous affidavit must be sacked. Action should also be taken against officials who prepared it," BJP chief Rajnath Singh told PTI over phone from Assam as Union Law Minister H R Bharadwaj announced that a supplementary affidavit would be filed in the Supreme Court.

Sri Sri denounces Centre’s affidavit on Sri Ram

Press Release

Bangalore: Renowned spiritual leader His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has denounced the Centre’s affidavit before the Supreme Court that said there was no historical evidence to establish existence of Sri Ram.

In a statement issued from Germany on Saturday, Sri Sri said, Ramayana and Mahabharata are called Itihasas. Itihas means it happened as such.

This means that Sri Ram did exist as recorded in the Ramayana. The ancient seers had made clear distinction between Puranas and Itihasas. Puranas are mythological, symbolic stories and Itihasas are that which actually happened.

"One cannot dismiss Sri Ram as a mythological character just because a lot of miracles were reported in his life and there are no scientific evidences to prove them. There were unproven miracles in the lives of the religious figures of other faiths. If we dismiss Sri Ram as fictitious character, then we have to dismiss all the miracles in the lives of Jesus, Moses and Mohammed as myths," he said.

Sources: IBN-LIVE, Rediff

No question of withdrawal of Ram affidavit: Centre

September 13, 2007

New Delhi: The Centre said that there is no question of withdrawing the affidavit from the Supreme Court on the Ram Setu issue on Thursday.

The BJP had warned the Centre that it would launch a nationwide movement if it did not immediately withdraw its affidavit that there was no historical evidence to prove Lord Ram’s existence.

BJP chief Rajnath Singh, who is in Guwahati, said over phone that he had requested former deputy prime minister L K Advani, who led the Ram temple movement in the late 1980s and the early 1990s, to discuss the matter with party office-bearers.

"The government has set in motion the process of questioning religious beliefs. We will launch a nationwide movement if it does not withdraw immediately this blasphemous submission questioning the very existence of Lord Ram," Singh said.

He also accused the government of insulting the Constitution, which he said contained images of Ram, Sita and Hanuman.

"The government has made an assault on Hindu sentiments, which cannot be tolerated at any cost," the BJP chief said.

Opposition BJP blasted the Congress-led UPA government on Wednesday, accusing it of "blasphemy" for telling the Supreme Court that there was no historical evidence to establish the existence of Lord Rama or the other characters in Ramayana.

(This is the warning bell for all Hindus! Unite now to save your existence – Editor)

Source:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Wont_withdraw_Ram_affidavit_says_Centre/articleshow/2364762.cms

Govt’s affidavit on Ram Sethu is blasphemous: BJP

September 13, 2007

New Delhi: The BJP on accused the Congress-led UPA government of "blasphemy" by telling the Supreme Court that there was no historical evidence to establish the existence of Lord Rama or the other characters in Ramayana.

"This is sheer blasphemy," senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra said reacting to an affidavit filed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) rejecting the claim of the existence of the "Ram Sethu" or Adam’s bridge in the area where the Sethusamudram project was under construction.

Centre denies existence of Rama or Ramayana

"It’s an insult to the Hindu faith. We also wonder why Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi have been going for the Dussehra festival if their government does not believe in Lord Rama’s existence," he said.

The BJP and other constituents of the Sangh Parivar are opposing the Sethusamudram project saying it would damage an undersea bridge believed to be built by Lord Rama.

"Today, the government in its affidavit says there is no evidence to prove the bridge was built by Lord Rama or that Lord Rama ever existed. This is an attack on Hindu sentiments, a ferocious one," Malhotra said.

Source:

http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14525679

VHP activists protest against Sethusamudram project

September 12, 2007

New Delhi: Road and rail traffic was disrupted but there was no major violence during a blockade today by thousands of Vishwa Hindu Parishad(VHP) activists across the country in protest against constructing a sea lane on India’s southern tip, which, it says will destroy a mythological bridge.

Police resorted to lathicharge and fired in air at some places as hundreds of activists of VHP were arrested when they tried to enforce a three-hour ‘chakka jam’ during morning peak hour from 8 a.m affecting school and officegoers. Activists of RSS, BJP and ABVP also joined the protest rallies from Jammu to the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

The activists targetted trains at several places leaving them stranded leading to delays by one to two hours. The Delhi-Dehra Dun Shatbadi and Howrh-Barbil Shatabdi was detained at Saharanpur and Tatanagar stations respectively for a couple of hours. A Patna report said agitators smashed the windscreen of the engine of Dehri-Patna inter-city express at Jehanabad.

The activists squatted in railway tracks at several stations and also at stretches of major arterial roads at many places. About 20 activists entered the Indore railway station and made a vain bid to disrupt the movement of trains.

Jammu witnessed a partial bandh as shops, schools and business establishments were closed. Activists also closed the Pathankot-Jammu-Srinagar highway.

The VHP took to the roads to protest against the Centre’s decision to go ahead with the Sethusamudram project which envisages dredging Ram Setu bridge, the mythological bridge mentioned in Ramayana epic.

The geographical feature linking the southern tip of India to Sri Lanka is also known as Adam’s bridge,a string of small islands, which according to Hindu mythology was built by an army of monkeys led by Lord Ram to recapture his wife from demon King Ravana in Sri Lanka.

(HJS also participated in the protest drive. – Editor)

No proof of Lord Rama’s existence:Centre

Meanwhile, the Centre told the Supreme Court that there was no historical and scientific evidence to establish the existence of Lord Rama or the other characters in Ramayana.

In an affidavit, the Centre stated that the contents of the Valmiki Ramayana, Tuslidas’s Ramcharitmanas and other mythological texts cannot be a historical record to prove the existence of the characters mentioned in the book.

According to the Centre the "Ram Setu"/Adam’s bridge is not a man-made structure, "but rather a natural formation made up of shoals/sand bars, which are possessed of their particular shape and form due to several millennia of wave action and sedimentation."

The Centre filed the affidavit in response to two writ petitions filed by former Union Minister Subramaniam swamy and Ram Gopalan who had sought an assurance from the Government that there would be no destruction of the mythical barrier "Ram Setu" during the construction of Sethusamudram project.

The multi-crore project proposes to provide a shorter sea route from Rameshwaram to Sri Lanka.

(Will Congress lead UPA government ever dare to ask proof of existence of Prophet Mohammed or Jesus? This is the real face of so-called Secular Parties. All Hindus must remember congress, DMK, left and other UPA leaders and teach them a lesson in coming election. Ask questions to local representatives of these parties and participate actively to protect Sree Ram Setu. – Editor)

Source: http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200709121955.htm