Setu row: Jairam has a dig at Soni, she offers to quit if asked by PM

The controversy over the Ram Setu affidavit took a new turn on Saturday with Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh stating that he would have resigned if he had been the Cultural Minister owning moral responsibility. Soni, however, retorted that she was not Jairam and added,” I will not take even a minute to relinquish my post if my leaders ask me to do so."

"I would have resigned if I had been the Cultural Minister," Ramesh told reporters when asked about his reaction on the Ram Sethu issue.

Ramesh said that the affidavit, which created a controversy by denying the existence of Lord Rama, was wrongly drafted by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Cultural Minister was totally unaware of it.

Ramesh said that the affidavit was withdrawn later due to the intervention of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. He said that the affidavit had definitely hurt the sentiments of the people and was improper.

Ramesh`s statement came in the wake of the Union Culture Minister Ambika Soni`s meeting with the Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Ambika Soni, however, offered to resign over the fiasco after her ministerial colleague took potshots at her. "I will not take even a minute to relinquish my post if my leaders (Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi) ask me to do so," she told reporters.

She was asked to comment on the remarks in Kolkata of Jairam Ramesh that he would have resigned if he had been the Culture Minister. The affidavit was wrongly drafted by the ASI and the Culture Minister was not aware of it, he had said.

"I am not Jairam Ramesh," Soni shot back.

Soni, who returned last night from her visit to Japan, ordered suspension of two senior officials of the ASI, which comes her ministry, and has now sought an explanation from the ASI Director General Anshu Vaish, an IAS officer, on her role in the filing of the affidavit.

She said three corrections had been suggested in the draft affidavit by her ministry on September seven, out of which two were carried out, while one was omitted.

"The Culture Ministry made three corrections in the affidavit, rather deletions, of which two were carried out, while the third was missed," said Soni, who had a meeting with the Congress pesident this morning to explain her ministry`s role in the matter.

She said the draft affidavit was sent by the Additional Solicitor to the ASI, which then forwarded it to the Ministry.

The affidavit submitted in the Apex Court earlier this week stated there was no historical evidence to prove the existence of either Lord Ram or the Ram Setu, a manmade bridge, triggering a major controversy.

On who was responsible for the omission, Soni said an inquiry was on, which would find out who made the slip-up, but added "I will not allow anyone to become a scapegoat".

"A departmental inquiry is on. We will find out who is responsible," Soni said.

The Centre has already sought personal explanation from ASI chief on her role in the filing of the document in the Supreme Court in the form of an affidavit on the Ram Setu issue.


COLLECTED BY:
RISHI KAPOOR