By IANS,
Jaitapur (Maharashtra) : The Shiv Sena will not allow the Jaitapur nuclear power plant to come up here in this Maharashtra district if the people do not want it, party executive president Uddhav Thackeray said Saturday.
Addressing a public rally in Mithgavane village, near the Jaitapur nuclear power plant (JNPP) site, Thackeray said the people of the region were strongly opposed to the project as it would create environmental hazards and hit the livelihood of the farmers and fishermen.
“We are with the people and if they don’t want it, we shall strongly oppose the Jaitapur project – it will not be allowed to come up,” Thackeray said amidst thunderous applause.
The Sena leader charged the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party-led Democratic Front state government with adopting high-handed tactics against the villagers and others who are opposing the project by making arbitrary arrests.
“Today, I have also come here to oppose this project. Let the authorities arrest me,” Thackeray challenged the district authorities who had deployed tight security during his visit to the region.
Speaking on the occasion, senior party leader Ramdas Kadam said the state is using its might against the people of the area who are protesting the JNPP.
“But they are forgetting that there are more chests here than their bullets and we shall challenge them,” Kadam said.
Earlier, Thackeray met the people of several villages in and around Jaitapur who would be affected by the plant and expressed support to them.
The 9,900-MW JNPP is scheduled to come up in Jaitapur, around 350 km south of Mumbai, with collaboration of the French company Areva.