Ramsethu: Arrest can't deter fight, says Uma Bharti

CHENNAI: Lok Jan Shakti party leader Uma Bharti on Monday asserted that she was not bothered even if she was arrested for the cause of saving Ramsethu from destruction for the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project.

'I am going to Rameswaram tomorrow. Let the police arrest me', she told here.

Cases have been registered against the former Union Minister in Rameswaram and Tiruchirappalli for her reported remarks 'objectionable under law' made while speaking at a demonstration organised by her party in July condemning the demolition of the Ramsethu.

It was she who pointed out the existence of Ramasethu when the project was first envisaged by the then NDA government, she claimed.
   
"I then deputed a team of scientists from the Geological Survey of India who confirmed the existence of the Sethu," she said adding that at this point of time she was relieved from Union Ministry.

"Atal Bihari Vajpayee asked me to take charge as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and I wrote a letter to him informing of the Ramasethu and need to protect it," she said.

However, the UPA hurried into the project, she charged. "On March 8 last year, the Prime Minister's Office raised 16 questions with the Tuticorin Port Trust, the nodal agency, but no reply was given.

The project was approved on May 19 and the Port Trust replied to the queries on June 30 and the project was inaugurated on July 2," she said.

Uma Bharti said her primary concerns were the 'heightened tsunami threat, threat to national security and loss of job opportunities to fishermen in the wake of the implementation of the project.'

"The Government should guarantee such things will not happen and also should not demolish the bridge," she said.
   
She also wondered why social activists like Medha Patkar and Arundhati Roy were not taking up the issue as it involved possible damage to environment and fishermen losing work.

When asked why she did not join hands with the VHP in opposing the demolition, she branded the organisation as a non-political outfit while hers was a political party.

On the controversy surrounding the Indo-US nuclear deal, she wondered what was the need for it at all. She also took a dig at the Left parties for opposing the deal and said it was a drama.
   
"Since they did not participate in the Indian freedom struggle, let them withdraw their support to the UPA in this regard as an act of repentence," she said.
   
Criticising the UPA Government's policies on SEZ, FDI in retail trade and other "anti-people" policies, she said everyday of UPA in power was a threat to country.