Congress denies sanctioning of Tuticorin Sterlite project during UPA

The Congress party on Thursday denied reports of sanctioning the expansion of controversial Sterlite project in Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) tenure.

Addressing the media here, the Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi accused the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government for abolishing the rules made during the UPA government in 2013, which prohibited the expansion of the project in the region.

Singhvi said the chaos in the district is for diverting and confusing the public.

"We made a rule in 2013 that for a project like this either the project or the including zone in which it is located must have environmental clearance. Environmental clearance must be preceded by public consultation. In case the public raises an objection, the issue needs to be addressed," he said.

He said all the rules of made during the UPA rule was overlooked because of the "ease of doing business zumla" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The NDA government in 2014 abolished the rule and said as long as a project is located in the industrial zone it requires no permission, even if the industrial zone itself has not got any permission," the Congress leader said.

At least 13 people have died in the protest until now, and over 60 have been injured.

The people in the city have been contending that the plant would further pollute the water and pose environmental hazards.

Police have been deployed in large numbers in the sensitive coastal areas.

Till now, 67 people have been arrested for indulging in violence and will be produced in front of the magistrate for causing damage to public property and indulging in violence

Internet services have also been temporarily shut down in Thoothukudi and will remain suspended for another five days in the city.

The agitation turned violent after protesters were barred from marching up to the plant following which they began to pelt stones and toppled police vehicles.