Anti-KNPP protests turn violent; Shinde blames foreign NGOs

Police said a 44-year old fisherman was killed when it opened fire at a group of people who clashed with them while blocking a road in Manapad coastal village as the protest spilled to neighbouring Tuticorin District.

In Delhi, Government accused some foreign NGOs of instigating the protesters.

Opposing loading of uranium at Kudankulam in Tirunelveli District, the focal point of agitation for the last two days, over 2,000 protesters fought pitched battles throwing stones and logs. Police resorted to lathicharge and burst teargas shells to disperse them.

The police action came after authorities failed to persuade the protesters who, for the second day, defied prohibitory orders and stayed put at the seashore, about 500 metres away from the Kudankulam plant.

Sporadic violence then followed as enraged groups of protesters set fire to a local Panchayat office, the Village Administrative Officer's office and a state-run liquor retail shop in Kudankulam, in an ugly turn to the over year-long peaceful protest.

The protest spilled into Tuticorin where about 500 people stopped a train for some time by squatting on track. The protestors also blocked Tuticorin-Nagercoil highway.

"Foreign NGOs are supporting the movement. We are aware about the NGOs which are behind it," Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde told reporters.

Shinde said government was very clear as far as nuclear energy is concerned and wanted it to be produced in India as it was cheap and clean.

In February, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had blamed some US-based NGOs for putting difficulties in launching the Kudankulam nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu.

Government had also probed fundings of around 12-13 Indian voluntary organisations which were launching the protest movement in Kudankulam.(MORE)