Anti-nuclear activist Udayakumar floats new party

CHENNAI: Anti-nuclear activist S. P. Udayakumar on Monday announced launch of a new political party called Pachai Tamizhagam  to protect natural resources and safeguard the people’s future.

Udayakumar told newspersons here that the decision to convert the people’s movement to a political party was taken as the people’s struggle against Kudankulam, neutrino project at Theni and methane project in the Delta districts were not taken seriously by the Central and state governments. His organisation did not want to take up a violent struggle.

“Instead of leading it as people’s movement, we are joining the electoral fray to problematise these issues and to awaken our people about the dangers we are facing. In Tamil Nadu, the situation is very grave and all our natural resources like river sand, sea sand and granites are being plundered by a few private parties.”
 

Udayakumar, who had contested the 2014 Lok Sabha polls in Nagercoil as an AAP candidate, said he quit AAP as the party did politics based on Delhi and it failed to take up issues concerning Tamil Nadu.
 

The anti nuke activist, who released his party’s flag at the press meet, said his new party would emphasise on green values as its principle.

“This is a brand new green political party in the state. We have credibility of leading a people’s struggle for four-and-a- half years without any kind of accusation. We will be able to provide new direction to the people,” he said.
 

When asked about his party’s preparation for the coming Assembly polls, he said the election strategy would be announced soon.

“We are in the process of drafting our party principles and we hope to emphasise green values like green political virtues.”  

To a question on alliance with other parties,  Udayakumar said he was very clear he would not have any truck with DMK, AIADMK, Congress, BJP, CPI and CPI (M), which had been “acting against the interests of Tamil people.”