PMANE opposes PM's comments on Kudankulam protests

Chennai:  People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy, spearheading the stir against Kudankulam Nuclear Power plant, today rejected as “baseless” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s remarks that foreign NGOs are behind its protest. “It is unfortunate that the Prime Minister has made the allegations without any documentary proof. We strongly deny his observation that the agitation is being funded by other countries,” PMANE convener SP Udayakumar told reporters here. [caption id=“attachment_224424” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“He demanded that Singh provide documentary proof in support of his allegation or withdraw his remarks. AP”]  [/caption] He demanded that Singh provide documentary proof in support of his allegation or withdraw his remarks. Udayakumar said Prime Minister Singh does not understand people’s protests regarding the project. In an interview to the ‘Science’ magazine yesterday, the Prime Minister appears to have blamed some US-based NGOs for difficulties at Kudankulam. “The atomic energy programme has gone into difficulties because these NGOs, mostly I think based in the United States, don’t appreciate the need for our country to increase the energy supply,” he had said. Minister of State in the PMO, V Narayanasamy, today said the apprehensions raised by the Prime Minister about the funding of the protests were correct. “In fact, we received such a report about NGOs who are being funded by NGOs based in US and Scandinavian countries,” Narayanasamy told reporters in New Delhi today. The minister however claimed that money had been received by about 12 NGOs that were investigated by the Minisry of Home Affairs. “The Ministry of Home Affairs cancelled licenses for about 3 NGOS and is initiating action against NGOs not following guidelines,” he said. He said that as per the information they had people agitating against the nuclear plant are being brought from various areas by vehicles and are being treated well by the organizers. He said that there was no question of the matter affecting diplomatic ties between India and the countries where the NGOs are based. “The NGOs there may not be knowing how it is being spent in India and will not affect diplomatic ties,” Narayanasamy said. with inputs from PTI