Soni plays safe, consults PM on new Sethu affidavit

NEW DELHI, JANUARY 4: Having burnt her fingers once in the controversy over the Sethusamundram issue, Culture Minister Ambika Soni is not leaving anything to chance as her ministry prepares a fresh affidavit to be filed before the Supreme Court later this month.

Soni met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday to keep him informed on the issue. Soni is learnt to have discussed with the PM that this time around the Government should prepare the affidavit with the Culture Ministry headed by her providing the required inputs. The minister’s office confirmed the meeting between Soni and the Prime Minister.

Sources said the meeting was an effort by Soni to keep the PM in the loop so that, unlike last time, she is not blamed in case something goes wrong again. Soni had to suffer a major embarrassment after the Archaeological Survey of India, which functions under the Culture Ministry, questioned the existence of Lord Rama in its now-withdrawn affidavit on the Sethusamundram issue before the Supreme Court in September last year.

Not wanting a repeat of those events, Soni thought best to keep the head of the Government informed.

Without going into the procedural details required into preparing the fresh affidavit, the Prime Minister is learnt to have suggested during the meeting that the Cabinet Secretary will consult the secretaries of ministries concerned before finalising the affidavit that will be filed by the Government.

With recent elections results of Uttaranchal, Punjab, Gujarat and Himachal going in favour of the BJP, which is now gearing itself to put the Congress in the docks over this sensitive issue, the Government is trying to avoid another political storm.

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