DMK walks out of Assembly over Sterlite Copper issue

Chennai, Jan 8 : The DMK party legislators on Tuesday walked out of the Tamil Nadu Assembly protesting against the state government's continued silence on the demand to take a policy decision to close down copper smelter plant Sterlite Copper.

Speaking to reporters outside the House, Leader of opposition and DMK President M.K. Stalin said only a policy decision taken at the cabinet meeting will provide a permanent solution to the Sterlite Copper problem.

"However, the government is silent on the matter," he added.

Stalin said the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered reopening of the Sterlite Copper -- a copper smelter plant -- in Tuticorin, owned by Vedanta Ltd, and the Supreme Court, too, agreed with the NGT order on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss expressed shock at the apex court's order.

He said the Supreme Court has stayed the Madras High Court's order banning reopening of the copper smelter plant.

According to Ramadoss, the state government should take a policy decision not to allow copper smelter plant and also bring a legislation to give legal backing to such a decision.

Ramadoss said the NGT and the Supreme Court are looking at the issue from the angle of industrial development.