As per Valmiki, Rama was a drunkard: Karunanidhi

Refusing to withdraw his remarks on Lord Rama, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister today said that as per Ramayanas author Valmiki, Rama was a drunkard.

Chennai, Sep 20 : Refusing to withdraw his remarks on Lord Rama, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister today said that as per Ramayana's author Valmiki, Rama was a drunkard.

"I have not said anything more than Valmiki, who authored Ramayana. Valmiki had even stated that Rama was a drunkard. Have I said so?" Karunanidhi told reporters.

Challenging Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani, he asked, "Is Advani ready to discuss Ramayana with me in the same platform after going through Valmiki Ramayana fully?"

Commenting on the Sethu Samundram Project, Karunanidhi said, "I only want the project to be implemented at the earliest as it would reduce the shipping expenses and develop trade. The project has been put on hold for the past one hundred years."

Yesterday, condemning the attack on his daughter's house in Bangalore, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said that this act had proved the culture of devotees of Rama.

On Sunday, Karunanidhi had questioned the existence of Rama while addressing a rally in Erode.

He said that Rama was an imaginary character, and asked: "Was Rama a civil engineer?" which created hullabaloo.

The controversy, which was sparked off following an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court in connection with the Sethusamudram Project is unlikely to die down even though the Central Government has withdrawn it. The affidavit inter alia had stated that there was no historical evidence to establish the existence of Lord Rama or other characters in Ramayana.

The two officials of the ASI, Director Administration, Chandrashekhar, and Assistant Director of Monuments, V Bakshi were suspended following an inquiry conducted by ASI Director General A Vaish.

Hindu groups have called on the government to stop the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project, saying it will demolish the mythical 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 in Sri Lanka.

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

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