Uddhav slams Jairam over "u-turn" on Jaitapur N project

Reacting to Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh's statement that there would be no rethink on Jaitapur nuclear power project, Shiv Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said it was a "mockery".

Reacting to Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh's statement that there would be no rethink on Jaitapur nuclear power project, Shiv Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said it was a "mockery".

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Shiv Sena has sided with the local people in the coastal Ratnagiri district who are opposing the project.

Uddhav described Ramesh's Friday's statement here as a "mockery". The Sena leader recalled the minister's earlier letter to the Prime Minister raising environmental and security-related concerns about the project.

"Why has he done a u-turn within a week? This is nothing but antics and it has to stop," Uddhav said.

Uddhav said the environment ministry would not be Ramesh's domain forever. "He will carry on comfortably even after he is no longer environment minster. But the people of Konkan will suffer for generations if his decision to go ahead with Jaitapur is implemented," the Sena leader said, reiterating that his party would stop the project at any cost.

In a sarcastic tone, he said there should be a "Joint Parliamentary Committee" to find out what knowledge Ramesh had about environment.