Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: MoS in Prime Minister Office (PMO) V Narayanasamy on Saturday asked anti-Kudankulam activist SP Udayakumar to explain his links to Sweden funded NGO.
The development came close on the heels of PM Manmohan Singh’s statement that some NGOs were misusing foreign funds to fuel anti-nuclear protest.
Udayakumar, who is heading the People`s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), an NGO sphereheading anti- Kudankulam agitation had said, “It is unfortunate that the Prime Minister has made the allegations without any documentary proof. We strongly deny his observation that Kudankulam agitation is being funded by other countries”.
Speaking to reporters in Chennai he said he would sue Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Minister of State in the PMO, V Narayanasamy and for their comments on foreign funding.
The anti-nuclear activist is currently consulting with his lawyer to file a defamation case against the PM.
The PMO is contemplating to file a counter-defamation against Udayakumar.
Meanwhile, licences of three NGOs active in the Kudankulam region have been cancelled.
The Prime Minister, in an interview to a science journal had said that the atomic energy programme had run into difficulties because foreign NGOs did not appreciate India’s need to increase energy supply.
"The atomic energy programme has got into difficulties because these NGOs mostly, I think, based in the US, don`t appreciate the need for our country to increase energy. The local NGO-led protests have stalled the commissioning of two 1000 mw nuclear reactors," Singh was quoted as saying.
“These NGOs were receiving funds from foreign countries for social service causes like helping the physically handicapped and eradication of leprosy but these were being diverted for anti-nuclear protests,” MoS in PMO Narayanasamy said.
Reacting to PM’s statement, opposition BJP said that facts of the “very important” statement by Singh be made public.
Meanwhile, Russia has come out in support of PM Manmohan Singh as he blamed US-based NGOs for fuelling protests against the Moscow-aided Kudankulam nuclear project.
Russian Ambassador to India Alexander M Kadakin said that his country had been suspecting the same all along.
"We have been suspecting this all along. I was open to even saying this because it was very strange that six months after the Fukushima tragedy, all of a sudden those protesters raised their voice", Kadakin said.
"They were sleeping for six months and all of a sudden they raise their voice against the most secure and the world`s best station."
Reacting to PM’s statement, US charge d`affaires A. Peter Burleigh said that US will have to find out the "facts" before commenting on Singh`s remarks.
"I am not well aware of the matter and so do not feel confident to comment on it. We will have to find out the facts", Burleigh said.
"The government of the US certainly has no objection to any nuclear programme here in India, he added.
