The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will hear the plea seeking declaration of the Ram Setu as a national heritage site on July 26.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy appeared before the bench of Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana, Justice Krishna Murari and Justcie Hima Kohli and said that his case had remained pending for a really long time and requested it be heard without any further delay.
CJI Ramana, in a lighter vein, asked if it should be listed after his retirement and listed it on July 26.
Swamy had filed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the declaration of the Ram Setu a national heritage site in 2007. Also known as Adam’s Bridge, the Setu is the mythological structure believed to have linked Rameswaram to Lanka in the Ramayana built by Lord Rama with the help of the army of vanaras to rescue Sita. The structure is some 50 km long .
Swamy had filed the PIL in 2007 against the proposed Sethusamudram Canal Project that aimed to establish an 83 km deep-water channel to link Mannar with Palk Strait. The project hence required the removal of the limestone shoals part of the Ram Setu. The Supreme Court had stayed work on the project in 2007.
The Rajya Sabha MP had again approached the Supreme Court in early 2020 but given the pendency of cases, the Apex Court had asked him to mention it three months later.