The three-day Tarapur-Jaitapur yatra fron Saturday will not be allowed as the situation in Jaitapur is still tense, the Maharashtra police has said. The yatra is against the proposed Jaitapur nuclear power plant.
“In the background of the tense situation in Jaitapur, we will not allow the yatra to start from Tarapur. We will detain the protesters, if need be,” Thane Rural Superintendent of Police Vishwas Nangre-Patil told The Hindu on Friday.
Social activists, environmentalists, academics and retired judges from across the country would take part in the protest that would begin with a public meeting at Tarapur. From there, the protesters would go to Sakhri Nate, near Jaitapur, through Vasai, Bhiwandi, Thane, Tara (Panvel), Chiplun, Ratnagiri and Jaitapur, activist Adwait Pednekar said.
Mr. Nangre-Patil said prohibitory orders under Article 37 (1) of the Bombay Police Act were issued. “Prohibitory orders were also issued in Ratnagiri,” Ratnagiri Superintendent of Police Pradeep Raskar said.
“We have received a fax message from the Ratnagiri Superintendent of Police telling us that the situation in Jaitapur is already tense, and the march may cause further disturbance. We will request the protesters not to go ahead with the yatra,” he said.
Prominent activists such as Vandana Shiva, Praful Bidwai, Banwarilal Sharma of the Azadi Bachao Andolan, Anil Sadgopal, Admiral (retired) L. Ramdas, Vishnu Bhagwat and Justice (retired) P.B. Sawant are expected to participate in the march.
Around 50 organisations from across the country will join the protest, which has been supported by the National Confederation of Officers Associations of Central Public Sector Undertakings and the All-India Power Engineers Federation.
