MDMK general secretary Vaiko has said the 129 people arrested and lodged in Vellore central prison for participating in protest against Kalpakkam nuclear power plant should be released immediately and their judicious demands must be met. He met them in the prison on Saturday.
Speaking to the reporters before entering the prison, Mr.Vaiko said promises made to the people of Kalpakkam before constructing nuclear plant there, such as priority in treatment, education of wards of the people and in availing electricity were not met. People engaged in peaceful protest demanding fulfilment of these promises have been arrested.
“I came here to meet those arrested, including MDMK deputy general secretary Mallai Sathiya, Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Abdul Samath, VCK district deputy secretary Velu Prabakaran and Puratchi Bharatham district secretary Sankar.
They should be released immediately, and the people’s demands should be met,” he urged.
Mr.Vaiko met ten people among the 121 inmates in the Central Prison and later met eight minor protestors lodged in Borstal School. He also met Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convicts Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan in the prison.
Mr.Vaiko thanked Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa for deciding to cut electricity to Sterlite copper smelter unit in Tuticorin and close it down through an order from Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board even as Supreme Court’s order is expected in the case against the unit in the first week of April.
“The government’s decision came in the wake of respiratory discomforts experienced by people of Tuticorin due to poisonous gases leaked from the Sterlite unit and subsequent protest by people,” he said.
