NEW DELHI: In a damage control exercise, the Center has withdrawn from the Supreme Court its two affidavits, including the controversial one filed by the ASI claiming there was no historical or scientific evidence to establish existence of Lord Ram and Rama Setu as a man-made bridge.

The Center's action came in the wake of controversy sparked by the ASI affidavit on September 13 that forced the government to backtrack on the issue. A Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balkrishnan, which allowed the Centre to withdraw the affidavits, said that the August 31 interim order putting on hold the construction in Rama Setu area will continue.

The Court in its interim order had allowed the dredging activity. The government said it will examine the entire issue relating to the Sethusamudram project and sought three month's time from the Court.

The Court posted the matter for hearing in the first week of January, 2008. The government said it wanted to resolve the matter in a "constructive and mutually acceptable manner".

"I have taken instructions from the Government at the highest level," Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam told the Bench which included Justice R V Raveendran.

The court took on record his submission that the government will consider the suggestions and representations of all the petitioners in "true democratic spirit on the mechanism to clear the project".

He said there was no intention to cast aspersion on religious faith or to divide the society. At the outset, Subramaniam said that the ASI affidavit was based on the instructions provided and made available till September 10-11.

He said the Centre has taken note of the wide-ranging public sentiments which had been expressed in respect of the decision to proceed with the construction of the Sethusamudram shipping channel.

"The Central Government has total respect for all religions, and Hinduism in particular, in the context of the present case. The Central Government is alive and conscious of religious sensibilities, including the unique, ancient and holy text of Ramayana," the ASG told the Court.

"The Central Government is also keen that its decisions bind and bring the society together rather than cause any disruption in the religious and social psyche of one true India," Subramaniam said.

The Center's about turn came after a scathing attack from BJP for having questioned the veracity of Lord Ram's existence before the Supreme Court. The retreat was personally ordered by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, who, according to party sources, asked PM Manmohan Singh, home minister Shivraj Patil and Law Minister H R Bhardwaj to repair the damage.