By IANS,
Mumbai : Indicating cracks among anti-Jaitapur project groups, the Republican Left Democratic Front Friday criticised the Shiv Sena for turning the protests violent while blaming the government for the police firing.
The RLDF, one of the major groups opposing the 9,900 MW Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant (JNPP) in Maharashtra, said the Shiv Sena cannot rest without resorting to violence.
The huge protest in Ratnagiri turned violent March 18, leading to police firing in which one youth was killed and several injured. The protesters allegedly attacked a police station and torched police vehicles.
“Agitating peacefully is not a habit with the Shiv Sena. Taking the agitation to a violent turn may give it short term publicity and create a sensation, but this can have long term negative implications,” the RLDF said in its statement.
“In a way, the Shiv Sena actually helped the government to use state force against the agitators,” the RLDF alleged.
It charged that in view of Shiv Sena’s tactics, the government would retaliate with state violence and wean away people from the movement.
The participation of local leaders is reduced by involving them in court and police matters and the people’s participation becomes less, the statement, jointly issued by RLDF leaders S.V. Jadhav, Prakash Reddy, Kuber Maurya, M.R. Khan, Mohan Mote and Sanjiv Sane, said.
The RLDF said it would fully support its local leadership comprising Pravin Gawankar and Amjad Bokar for carrying forward the agitation.
Top leaders of the RLDF would also visit Ratnagiri early next month and boost peoples’ morale to give an impetus to the anti-JNPP agitation.
Blaming the government for crushing the agitation by use of force, it urged that the officials responsible should be punished.