Hindu nationalists have forced the Indian government to put on hold plans to dredge the Palk Strait be-tween Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka, saying the project would obliterate the submerged vestiges of an ancient bridge built by the Hindu god Ram and his army of monkeys.

The government yesterday withdrew an affidavit filed to the Supreme Court in which it said there was no proof that Ram had built a bridge on the site and dismissed the evidentiary value of religious texts such as the Ramayana. The Supreme Court on August 31 ordered a three-month stay on the works, pending a review.