No historical evidence of Rama or Ramayana, Centre tells SC

The Centre today rejected the claim of the existence of the Ramasetu Bridge in the area where the Sethusamudram project is under construction, saying there was no historical evidence to establish the existence of Lord Rama or other characters in Ramayana.

New Delhi, Sept 12 : The Centre today rejected the claim of the existence of the "Ramasetu Bridge" in the area where the Sethusamudram project is under construction, saying there was no historical evidence to establish the existence of Lord Rama or other characters in Ramayana.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court said there is no "historical record" to indisputably prove the existence of the character, or the occurrences of the events, depicted in the Ramayana.

Hindu groups have called on the government to stop the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project, saying it will demolish a bridge linking India and Sri Lanka, believed to have been built by Lord Ram.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) is opposing the 560 million dollars project, which they say would destroy the Ram Sethu, a 48- kilometer chain of limestone shoals that once linked Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu to Mannar inri Lanka.

Meanwhile, the VHP staged countrywide road blockades today against the government's plan to go ahead with the Sethusamudram project.

In New Delhi, the VHP activists blocked traffic at several places, bringing the city's traffic to halt.

The scene was similar in Indore where the protestors tried to halt trains. Some protestors were arrested by police.

In Ayodhaya, considered birthplace of Lord Rama, Hindu seers took to the streets to protest against the project.

In Patna, protestors were successful in halting train traffic for a few hours.

The Sethusamudram Project will dredge a channel in a narrow strip of sea between India and Sri Lanka, reducing distances and cutting costs for freight traffic.

According to the Central Government, research has shown that the bridge was a series of sand shoals created by sedimentation.

Dredging for the project began in 2005 and the channel -- 12 metres deep, 300 metres wide and almost 90 km long -- will provide a crucial link between the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar.

When the project is completed, ships sailing between India's western and eastern coasts will no longer have to go around Sri Lanka, and are expected to save up to 36 hours of sailing time.

The project has also sparked protests by other groups including conservationists and local fishermen, who say the dredging will mean dumping sediment in deeper water further out to sea.

This and increased freight traffic will harm marine life and threaten the livelihood of thousands of fishermen in both countries.

ANI