Anti-nuke activist Udhayakumar quits AAP

Madurai, Oct 19: Noted anti nuclear activist and convener of People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy S P Udhayakumar has quit Aam Aadmi Party, saying he was doing so as he felt it was not paying attention to people of south Tamil Nadu.

In a Facebook post, Udhayakumar, who had joined AAP in March this year, said he was quitting the party as he felt the party high command had not paid attention to the problems of the people of south Tamil Nadu.

He also said that as an anti-nuclear activist he had to move with people from various sections of society and hence could not identify himself with one party. Udayakumar recalled he had joined AAP after consulting people protesting against Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant and fishermen in the region.

The locals had felt AAP would help take their protests forward, but their hopes were belied. He said he had informed party leader Arvind Kejriwal of his decision when he recently met him at New Delhi.

Udhayakumar said he had hoped that AAP would provide an alternative to BJP and Congress, but it was not so. "Whatever it may be working for the people is what is important. For good or bad, let the wheel turn," he said.

Udhayakumar had contested the Lok Sabha elections, but lost his deposit. Several cases are pending against him for organising protests against KNPP.

Recently The Tamil Nadu government had informed the Supreme Court that sedition charges against Udayakumar and others could not be withdrawn.

It said 349 cases were registered against PMANE members, of which 101 couldn't be withdrawn as they related to serious crimes like laying siege through sea and violence against private individuals and government servants.

PMANE had spearheaded the agitation against Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, commissioning of which was delayed due to anti-nuclear protests, doubting safety of such plants. The first unit of KNPP had attained criticality on July 3 last year.

PTI