SC refuses to entertain plea seeking construction of wall in the vicinity of Ram Setu

New Delhi, Oct 3: The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a PIL seeking directions to the Centre to construct a wall in the vicinity of Ram Setu and to declare it as a national heritage monument. A bench comprising Justices S.K. Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia said that such administrative matters be left to the government and courts should not interfere.

“We are not inclined to exercise our jurisdiction under Article 32 of the Constitution to give any nature of direction which the petitioner seeks,” the bench ordered. 

Further, it did not direct the government to treat the petition as a representation. “Give it to the government, we are not prohibiting you,” the apex court told the petitioner-in-person. 

The public interest litigation filed by Hindu Personal Law Board through its President Ashok Pandey claimed that the Union government has failed to take required steps to manage Ram Setu. 

It may be recalled that the top court had agreed to hear a similar plea filed by former BJP MP Subramanian Swamy to declare the Ram Setu a national heritage monument and had sought the response from the Central government.

In January this year, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court that the government was examining the issue and the process is currently underway in the Union Ministry of Culture.

Ram Setu, which is also known as Adam's Bridge, is a chain of limestone shoals between Pamban Island or Rameswaram Island, off the south-eastern coast of Tamil Nadu, and Mannar Island, off the north-western coast of Sri Lanka.