By IANS,
Ratnagiri (Maharashtra) : Shiv Sena’s executive president Uddhav Thackeray Monday criticised the Maharashtra and central governments for going ahead with the 9,900 MW Jaitapur nuclear power project which the people of the Konkan region in the state are strongly opposing.
Addressing mediapersons here Monday afternoon, Thackeray vowed to continue his party’s agitation against the project.
Thackeray claimed that the Maharashtra government would supply very little power to the state as most of the plant’s output will be sold to other states.
“Then what is the need to risk the lives of our people? We shall continue to oppose the project and carry on our agitation against it,” Thackeray said.
He also criticised union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh for reportedly changing his stance on the environmental implications of the nuclear project, which was cleared in November 2010.
Earlier Monday, Thackeray visited the family of Tabrez Sayekar, who was killed in police firing here on those protesting the project last week.
Accompanied by several senior leaders and around 100 party workers from the area, Thackeray met and consoled the grieving widow of Sayekar and other family members at his home in the coastal fishing village of Sakhri-Nate.
Thackeray said Sayekar has become a “martyr” in the cause of protest against the Jaitapur nuclear project.
Thackeray, who was accompanied by party MP Sanjay Raut, legislator Neelam Gorhe, senior leader Diwakar Raote and others, offered financial assistance of Rs.200,000 to Sayekar’s family members.
Later, he visited the two people injured in the police firing who are recuperating at the Ratnagiri Civil Hospital and announced an aid of Rs.200,000 towards their medical expenses.