TN not playing dual game, says Narayanasamy

Chennai: Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office V Narayanasamy on Saturday backed Tamil Nadu in its handling of the Kudankulam protests, and ruled out any dual game by the State government.

Expressing optimism that work on the Kudankulam plant would start soon, the Minister told that the Centre was ready to open the plant at any time, but the law and order is the subject of State government and with the State government backing the work will be started soon.

On PMANE members meeting Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, he said the State was very positive on the issue and is not playing a double game. Centre Mum on NGOs. The Union government on Saturday refused to divulge the names of non-governmental organisations funding the Kudankulam protests despite mounting criticism by the Opposition parties to do so.

Addressing a press conference here, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, V Narayanasamy said that enquiry is going on aga-inst the US-funded NGOs and the names would be revealed at the appropriate time.

He said there are four cases against the NGOs and the CBI is probing two cases and the State government is investigating the other two cases.

When queried that the United States has denied its role in backing the NGOs, the minister shot back stating that the US never denied that its NGOs are backing Kudankulam stir.

Interestingly, the BJP has slammed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for failing to make public the name of NGOs funding the pro-test and said it is mere accusations without substantiating it.

Reiterating his demand to arrest the protestors, the Union Minister also defended the move to deport German national Sonnteg Reiner Hermann and said if and when required he will be called for questioning.

Narayanasamy also backed the suspicion of his involvement in anti-nuclear activities and said why would a German national visit the protest site four times in four months on a tourist visa.

On Army chief Gen VK Singh stating that Supreme Court has not closed the age controversy issue while ruling out his resignation, Narayanasamy said the verdict has been given by the Supreme Court and the government will go by it.

"It is his views on the issue but everyone is bound by the Supreme Court verdict," the minister said.