NEW DELHI, MAY 1:A supreme Court Bench, headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, began the much-awaited hearing into several petitions filed against the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project (SSSCP) on Thursday.

Appearing for former chief minister J Jayalalithaa, senior advocate K K Venugopal alleged “inconsistencies” in the report submitted by the panel that was set up by the Centre following the controversy over the issue. He said the committee, like the Centre, appeared to be in a dilemma over whether the Ram Sethu was man-made or a natural formation.

He said that while the committee had concluded that it was a natural formation, it had also suggested that “whatever articles are recovered” when the Ram Sethu is destroyed during the project should be displayed at a museum to be built at Rameshwaram. “This shows that it is convinced that the structure is man-made, but goes against its own findings,” argued Venugopal.

He urged the Bench to discard the said report. He added that the committee had also not taken any decision on whether the structure was man-made or natural.

Venugopal also alleged that no investigations were carried out before the project was begun. “Without having any conclusive investigation on whether it’s a man-made structure, the Government hurriedly awarded contracts for the project,” he said.

Venugopal, who is also representing another petitioner — Dandi Swami Sri Vidyananda Bharti, a monk of the Sankaracharya order — contended that the issue was a question of people’s faith, which cannot be questioned by either the government or the courts. Venugopal also claimed that there was enough material and evidence to prove that it’s a man-made structure.

“Grave injustice would be done if the Union of India, in its anxiety to build developmental projects, injures ancient culture and civilisation. It would injure people’s faith,” he said. “You may not go to that place to worship, but faith may exist,” he submitted. “The religious faith of 800 million Hindus are attached to Ram Sethu, which the State is duty bound to protect and preserve.” The arguments will continue next week.

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