Udayakumar questions deportation of German national

Joining issue with the Centre on the deportation of German national Sonneteg Reiner Hermann for his alleged involvement in their protests, an anti-nuclear group against the Kudankulam nuclear power plant today sought to know why was he not arrested and prosecuted if he had done something wrong.

"Why didn't they charge, arrest him and prosecute him. Why did they deport him secretly," S P Udayakumar, convenor of People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) said.

Reacting to Home Minister P Chidambaram's remarks that Hermann was deported "because he was associated with activities not consistent with his tourist visa," Udayakumar accused him of making "wild allegations."

"If he (Hermann) had done something wrong, he should have been arrested and prosecuted according to the law of the land," he said adding he knew Hermann "very well."

Talking to reporters after meeting Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa over a 15-minute interaction, Udayakumar denied he or the protestors had received any foreign funds.