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| Report on Hindu god Ram withdrawn | Report on Hindu god Ram withdrawn |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The Indian government has withdrawn a controversial report submitted in court earlier this week which questioned the existence of the Hindu god Ram. | |
| The report was withdrawn after huge protests by opposition parties. | The report was withdrawn after huge protests by opposition parties. |
| The report was presented to the Supreme Court on Wednesday in connection with a case against a proposed shipping canal project between India and Sri Lanka. | The report was presented to the Supreme Court on Wednesday in connection with a case against a proposed shipping canal project between India and Sri Lanka. |
| Hindu hardliners say the project will destroy what they say is a bridge built by Ram and his army of monkeys. | Hindu hardliners say the project will destroy what they say is a bridge built by Ram and his army of monkeys. |
| Scientists and archaeologists say the Ram Setu (Lord Ram's bridge) - or Adam's Bridge as it is sometimes called - is a natural formation of sand and stones. | Scientists and archaeologists say the Ram Setu (Lord Ram's bridge) - or Adam's Bridge as it is sometimes called - is a natural formation of sand and stones. |
| No evidence | No evidence |
| In their report submitted to the court, the government and the Archaeological Survey of India questioned the belief, saying it was solely based on the Hindu mythological epic Ramayana. | In their report submitted to the court, the government and the Archaeological Survey of India questioned the belief, saying it was solely based on the Hindu mythological epic Ramayana. |
| They said there was no scientific evidence to prove that the events described in Ramayana ever took place or that the characters depicted in the epic were real. | They said there was no scientific evidence to prove that the events described in Ramayana ever took place or that the characters depicted in the epic were real. |
| Hindu activists say the bridge was built by Lord Ram's monkey army to travel to Sri Lanka and has religious significance. | Hindu activists say the bridge was built by Lord Ram's monkey army to travel to Sri Lanka and has religious significance. |
| In the last two days, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has launched a scathing attack on the government for questioning the "faith of the million". | In the last two days, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has launched a scathing attack on the government for questioning the "faith of the million". |
| Worried about the adverse reaction from the majority Hindu population of the country, the Congress Party-led government has now done a U-turn and withdrawn the statement submitted in court. | Worried about the adverse reaction from the majority Hindu population of the country, the Congress Party-led government has now done a U-turn and withdrawn the statement submitted in court. |
| Road blocks | Road blocks |
| On Wednesday, Hindu hard-line organisations blocked roads across India to protest against the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project. | On Wednesday, Hindu hard-line organisations blocked roads across India to protest against the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project. |
| Commuters in the capital, Delhi, were stuck in traffic jams for hours as Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) and Bajrang Dal blocked roads at various places. | Commuters in the capital, Delhi, were stuck in traffic jams for hours as Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) and Bajrang Dal blocked roads at various places. |
| Road blocks were also held in Bhopal, the capital of the central state of Madhya Pradesh, on the Delhi-Agra highway and on the Jaipur-Agra highway. | Road blocks were also held in Bhopal, the capital of the central state of Madhya Pradesh, on the Delhi-Agra highway and on the Jaipur-Agra highway. |
| Train services were disrupted in many places across northern India. | Train services were disrupted in many places across northern India. |
| The canal project proposes to link the Palk Strait with the Gulf of Mannar between India and Sri Lanka by dredging a canal through the shallow sea. | The canal project proposes to link the Palk Strait with the Gulf of Mannar between India and Sri Lanka by dredging a canal through the shallow sea. |
| This is expected to provide a continuous navigable sea route around the Indian peninsula. | This is expected to provide a continuous navigable sea route around the Indian peninsula. |
| Once complete, the canal will reduce the travel time for ships by hundreds of miles and is expected to boost the economic and industrial development of the region. | Once complete, the canal will reduce the travel time for ships by hundreds of miles and is expected to boost the economic and industrial development of the region. |