Anti-Sterlite protestors lobbying for legislation to close down copper plant

Chennai

According to Krishnamurthy, one of the Anti-Sterlite Thoothukudi People’s Movement leaders, they are awaiting an appointment with the Chief Minister to place their demands. “We want the state government to enact a special law to permanently close the Sterlite plant in Thoothukudi in the present budget session itself. This was the promise made by Chief Minister MK Stalin during the election campaign. We are urging the leaders of various political parties to support our demands in the Assembly as well,” he said.

They also demanded the government to fulfil its promise of punishing the police officers responsible for the brutal firing which led to the killing of 13 people on May 22 and 23. “A memorial should be created at the centre of Thoothukudi city for the martyrs,” he stressed.

The members of the anti-Sterlite movement met leaders of various parties, including DMK Women Wing chief and Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi, CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan and MNM founder Kamal Haasan.

On the 100th day of the protests against the Vedanta’s smelter plant, 13 civilians were killed in a police firing in May 2018 which is being probed by the CBI. Retired Justice Aruna Jagadeesan committee, which is also probing the case, has filed a preliminary report with the new DMK government after which most of the cases against protestors were dropped.