Expressing his full-fledged support to the villagers of Neduvasal opposing the hydrocarbon extraction plans of the Centre, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) leader Vijayakant on Sunday said he would even sacrifice his life to stop the project.
The DMDK leader said he would utilise opportunities to prevail upon Central and State governments to withdraw the project.
Accompanied by his wife Premalatha, the DMDK leader headed to Neduvasal to lead a demonstration against the hydrocarbon extraction project at the village. Addressing the villagers, Mr. Vijayakant asked the Centre and the State governments as why they had not withdrawn the project despite stiff protests by villagers against it for the past five months.
Claiming that the project would not take off, Mr. Vijayakant said he would even go to the extent of stopping the project by sacrificing his life if the officials entered the village to implement it.
In a veiled reference to the long absence of former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Vijayakant claimed that there was a provision to disqualify an MLA in case of failure to show up at the Legislative Assembly consecutively for six months.
Ms. Premalatha blamed the DMK for having signed the project while ruling the State. The DMK was cheating the people now by extending support to the villagers. Implementation of the project would severely hit the livelihood of the farmers, besides affecting groundwater.
Mr. Vijayakant later went to Nallandarkollai where the Oil and Natural Gas Commission had sunk an exploration well.