Karunanidhi slams Jaya for using police against anti-nuke stir

Slamming the Jayalalithaa government for using police force against anti-nuclear protesters in Kudankulam, DMK President M Karunanidhi today said the Centre and state should immediately initiate dialogue with the protesters' leaders to find an amicable solution.

Squarely blaming his archrival AIADMK supremo and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for the present situation, he said her government initially "encouraged" the protesters but was now trying to suppress them, aggravating the situation.

Jayalalithaa's refusal to talk to the representatives of the protesters was an "unpardonable" mistake and the Centre and state governments should invite them for a dialogue, he said in a statement two days after the protest against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant turned violent.

Citing People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy leader S P Udayakumar's remarks that the protesters had been let down by the Chief Minister, Karunanidhi said, "This shows how the protest has escalated to this level."

Karunanidhi, whose party is a key ally of UPA, also criticised state Congress chief B S Gnanadesikan's comments that people should not fall prey to "false" propaganda of the protesters on the safety of the project.

"It is only people who prevented Udayakumar from surrendering. Since the protest has gone out of the hands of its leaders and taken over by the people, the Congress leaders should impress upon the Central leaders to hold talks with the protesters," he said apparently referring to the protesters opposing Udayakumar's move to surrender yesterday.

The DMK Chief also found fault with the protesters for raising the issue when the project was on the verge of commissioning after spending thousands of crores of rupees.