ONGC machines won't be safe, says Vaiko

Nagapattinam/Kumbakonam: MDMK leader Vaiko on Sunday accused the ONGC of trying to destroy the farmlands in Tamil Nadu and threatened to mobilise the youth and women in Tamil Nadu to agitate for its expulsion from the state. He said he would even have the ONGC machines destroyed by his agitators.

After visiting the Iravatheswaraswamy temple at Darasuram near Kumbakonam to admire the sculptures and marvel at the stone architecture— he declined the invitation of the priests to go in, telling them he was a rationalist. Vaiko told reporters that the ONGC was turning Tamil Nadu into a desert through its leaking pipelines and dangerous hydrocarbon projects.

“At the height of their arrogance, the ONGC officers have said someone is instigating agitation against the corporation. Well, it’s me doing that, so what are you going to do? Arrest me? Go ahead, I will face it”, he thundered.

He said he would mobilise the youth and women across the state to agitate for removal of the ONGC from Tamil Nadu, “Just like the agitation launched by my mother at Kalingapatti that spread all over with women destroying the Tasmac liquor shops”. If the ONGC continues, he would “even have their machineries destroyed”, Vaiko said.

He later went to an ONGC installation at Mathiramangalam near Nagapattinam to ‘inspect’ the leakage of oil from an ONGC pipeline.

Locals complained that this was the fourth time that the pipeline fractured and they were in a state of panic considering there were many households nearby. Clearly, the Central PSU has not done itself any good by such poor performing ground staff maintaining pipelines and machinery which has outlived its usefulness.

“They (ONGC) say they follow all safety norms but this pipeline has fractured fourth time. This will ruin the farmlands. Since their pipes are running everywhere, the danger is widespread”, said Vaiko, before turning more dramatic and stingingly 
critical.

“You (ONGC) have made thousands of crores of rupees, now let our people live, survive. With Karnataka building dams, our farmers will have to just stare at the skies (for rain). You have decided to destroy everything here, isn’t it? If they want to destroy Tamil Nadu in India, why do we need India?” he asked, repeating his 
favourite ‘separatist’ theme.

Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami had said last month that “some political parties and some anti-socials are wantonly instigating innocent people” in the Kathiramangalam pipeline and Neduvasal hydrocarbon issues.