D. Raja blames Centre for Kudankulam crisis

New Delhi, Sept 10 (ANI): Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D. Raja on Monday blamed the Centre's "dubious" role for the prevailing crisis over contentious Kudankulam nuclear power plant.

Interacting with reporters here, Raja said that the central government should have taken measures to allay the fears of the public, and added that the current disturbances are not a regular law and order problem.

"It is not a simple law and order issue, it is more than that," he said.

"It should not have happen. People have general reactions. The central government is responsible for such an incident. Central government should remove their fears; they (the Centre) are playing dubious roles," he added.

Earlier, a 44-year old fisherman was killed as the anti-nuclear protests turned violent at Tuticorin on Monday.

The police opened fire at protestors who clashed with them while blocking a road in Manapad coastal village.

Following their Sunday's attempt to lay siege at the site of the contentious Kudankulam nuclear power plant, the protesting activists tried the act today, forcing the police to fire tear gas shells at them.

The anti- nuclear plant activists are demanding a halt to the loading of enriched uranium in the reactor.

Defying prohibitory orders, the protesters refused to disperse from the seashore, 500 metres away from the Kudankulam Nulcear Power project, despite repeated pleas by top police and district officials.

Regulatory authorities had recently given the go-ahead for loading the enriched uranium in the plant, whose commissioning was also given the nod by the Madras High Court.

The first unit of KNPP, an Indo-Russian joint venture, was scheduled for commissioning in December last, but was bogged down by delay due to protests against the project. (ANI)