DMK, Congress responsible for Thoothukudi violence: Pon Radhakrishnan

Chennai: Union Minister of State for Finance and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan lashed out at the opposition DMK and its ally Congress for the violent incidents in Thoothukudi and branded them as “culprits.”

“Both these parties which are responsible for the ‘murder’ of 13 persons have no right to talk about Sterlite issue or police firing, as they are the culprits,” Mr. Radhakrishnan said on Monday.

 Expressing in similar vein, BJP state president Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan charged the DMK working president M. K. Stalin with diverting the attention of the people on all key issues whether it be Sterlite, Cauvery issue, hydrocarbon, Neutrino or Gail project, “to serve his political interest.” “His plan is to convert Tamil Nadu into a battleground to serve his political interests," she said and advised Mr. Stailn to participate in healthy debates in TN Assembly rather than leading his party to stage a walk out from the Assembly House.

 Speaking to reporters at the airport here, Dr. Tamilisai claimed that as people were feeling insecure, agitations like those in Thoothukudi against the Sterlite copper smelting plant, are slipping into the hands of “secessionists.”

“So, in my view, the government should at the first instance, consider the demands of the people and take a favourable decision. This will help to create a healthy situation,” she asserted.

Welcoming Deputy CM O. Panneerselvam’s visit to Thoothukudi earlier in the day, the BJP chief urged the government to take steps to address the concerns of the people of Thoothukudi and facilitate a congenial atmosphere.