11 Jaitapur activists arrested

Around 11 people have been arrested from the area near the proposed 9,900mw Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project, right after the meeting held by chief minister Prithviraj Chavan. All 11 have been arrested under the various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) for being involved in the acts of rioting.

The arrested people include Dr. Milind Desai, who hails from Mithgavhane, has been leading the anti-JNPP agitations at the local level. Desai was also one of the speakers at the special meeting organised by the CM on February 26. Desai had lashed out at the government in the meeting, saying the government has not considered people’s grievances before carrying forward the project.

The arrests have angered the people from Jaitapur. “ The government has been using these oppressive tactics on us, the villagers, right from the start. The administration was waiting for CM’s visit to happen, and once it happened they have come back to the original oppressive tactics. These acts of government are actually triggering anger among the villagers against them and the project,” said Raju Wadekar from Madban.

Desai and others have been arrested on the charges of committing riots which broke after the accidental death of one of the anti-project activists, Irfan Kazi on December 18.