Process to declare ‘Ram Sethu’ a national heritage monument underway: Centre tells SC

NEW DELHI: The Central government on Thursday told the Supreme Court that the process to declare ‘Ram Sethu’ a national heritage monument is currently underway in the ministry of Culture. Chandrachud, Justice Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Justice J.B. Pardiwala allowed BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, seeking direction to the government to declare 'Ram Sethu' as a national monument, to make a representation to the Ministry of Culture on the issue. The order of the top court came after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench that the process is currently underway in the Ministry of Culture. Swamy, in his plea has urged the top court to pass an order and direct “Union of India along with National Monuments Authority to declare Ram Setu as an Ancient Monument of National Importance.” Swamy has also urged the top court to pass an order and direct “Union of India to engage Geological Survey of India and Archaeological Survey of India to conduct a detailed survey in respect to Ram Setu as an Ancient Monument of National Importance.” Swamy said that he has already succeeded in the first round of the litigation in which the Centre accepted the existence of ‘Ram Sethu’ and added that the Union Minister concerned had called a meeting in 2017 to consider his demand to declare the Sethu as a national heritage monument but subsequently nothing happened.