PMANE to sue PM for US fund remark

CHENNAI: People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) coordinator SP Udayakumar said that he would sue Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union Minister V Narayanasamy and former Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief EVKS Elangovan for linking the people’s struggle to foreign funds. Referring to the Prime Minister’s remarks that the struggle was often being funded by United States and some Scandinavian countries, Udayakumar said it was an attempt to belittle the integrity of the struggle.“If the struggle is funded by foreign countries, obviously I am corrupt as I am the one leading the protest”, he said, and added, “We can’t just keep ignoring their remarks as they would never stop unless we take a legal action.”Condemning the anti-people attitude, Udayakumar requested the Centre and the Department of Atomic Energy to respect the sentiments of the Tamils and shut down the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) completely.He said that Narayanasamy had retracted the remarks alleging that `1.5 crore from foreign sources was received for the struggle, in response to the recent legal notice served to the Minister.“However, Narayanasamy had linked me with International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) where my name figures in the Reconciliation Resource Network, an expert panel,  in its website. I wonder whether the Prime Minister had also made remarks in the same context,” Udayakumar said.“Elangovan had claimed that I was once convicted for three months in a drug peddling case in United States and I had received foreign funds,” Udayakumar continued, “He too will be sued.”Welcoming Udangudi Thermal Power Plant announced by Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, Udayakumar said that the State had also pressed the Centre for funds for power projects using alternative energy. Similarly, the Chief Minister had also proposed the use of CFL bulbs which showed that she had been taking the side of the people, he added.Terming the State Experts Panel on KKNPP’s  thumbs up as unethical and unprofessional, Udayakumar said that the panel had openly praised the plant even before submitting the final report.The next course of action would be taken after obtaining the copy of the report, he said, and noted that no-one was ready to talk to the experts from PMANE.