Shiv Sena politicising Jaitapur nuke power plant issue: Ramesh

New Delhi, April 19: Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh today (April 19) accused Shiv Sena of "politicising" the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant issue and frequently changing its stand on him on environmental issues.

"Shiv Sena has a long track record of politicising all issues. This is the same Shiv Sena, which had vowed to throw the Enron Project into the Arabian Sea in 1993, if I recall right. But when they came to power in 1995, they went out of their way to give approval," the Minister said reacting to a question on Shiv Sena's allegations against him.

Ramesh said Sena had lauded him for his stand on Navi Mumbai airport and Lavasa housing project near Pune and "made me a hero" but now the party has "made a khalnayak" in the Jaitapur episode.

"Consistency does not seem to be a virtue in Shiv Sena", he said.

The Minister said that looking into the environmental aspects of the project is the only mandate of his Ministry and maintaining law and order is the responsibility of the state government.

Taking a position with the local people in coastal Ratnagiri district who are opposing the project, Shiv Sena had termed as a "mockery" Ramesh's statement that there would be no rethink on Jaitapur nuclear power project.

The Minister wondered what made Shiv Sena, who "gave approval in unholy haste to the Enron Project", to stand against the Jaitapur Project.

A day after a protester was killed in police firing in Jaitapur, Ramesh said what happened in Jaitapur is "most depressing" and it caused him "great anguish."

PTI