A South Asian correspondent of a German radio network and her colleague, who were detained for trying to go to Idinthakarai, the hub of protests against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, had called SP Udaykumar, the leader of the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energey (PMANE) for a meeting.

Rediff.com's Ganesh Nadar reports that Udaykumar advised Sandra Peterson and her friend Anuj to inform the Kudankulam police before meeting him in Idinthakarai, where he is holed up for the past one year.

The two were kept waiting all day at the police station and finally told to get permission from the Inspector General of Police.

This morning, Udaykumar told Rediff.com that Peterson had left for Delhi without meeting him. When we called Peterson she replied, "Everything is fine, everthing is under control. We are not here to stir up controversy. There is no controversy. I do not want to meet you. There is no story here." 


The controversial project, dogged by delays since December last following protests by locals over safety concerns, was given the go ahead by the Supreme Court on May 6, which said it is safe and there is no basis to say it would have an adverse impact on the environment and people living nearby.

The apex court said nuclear plants are the need of the hour and are required for sustained economic development of the country.