A group of Congress workers alleged to be supporters of Minister Narayan Rane, MLA from the Konkan, were rounded up and detained on Tuesday as they tried to disrupt a meeting of activists, attended by the Communist Party of India. The police said there was no lathi charge, but around 12 persons were picked up from the meeting venue in Ratnagiri district.
On Tuesday, Prakash Karat, general secretary, Communist Party of India (Marxist), and D. Raja, MP and CPI national secretary, visited Jaitapur, the site of the proposed nuclear power plant, along with activist Vaishali Patil and others. The delegation of Left parties met the family of Tabrez Sayekar, who was killed in the police firing in April.
“It was a courtesy visit to express condolences. There was a meeting at Nate village and another one at Ratnagiri. The two leaders also met Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited officials who took them on a tour of the site,” Vivek Monteiro, member, Maharashtra State Committee of the CPI (M), told The Hindu over telephone.
Meet locals, leaders
“In Mithgavane village, they met the local people and leaders. The people said the Jaitapur issue was significant for the whole country. They said the struggle would be expanded to other parts of Maharashtra and the country,” Mr. Monteiro said.
The Ratnagiri police told The Hindu that some 10 to 12 Congress workers gathered at the meeting venue. “They have been taken to the police station. We are taking action against them,” the police said.
This is the second incident in the past few days that organised groups tried to disrupt the meetings of Jaitapur activists.
On Sunday, a group of unidentified persons barged into a meeting and created a ruckus.
