DMK, Kamal Haasan hail Madras HC's upholding Sterlite plant closure; say 'people win'

Shortly after the Madras HC upheld the closure of the Sterlite Copper Plant in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi, political leaders took to Twitter to laud the judiciary for prioritising the interests of the citizens. "The court ruling that the Sterlite ban will continue is a justice found in the sacrifice of many lives. I am someone who felt the need for this judgment, I felt their pain, up close. This is another proof that the voice of the people will always win," said Makkal Needhi Maiam Chief and actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan. 

"I bow to the judgment of the High Court that denied permission to open the Sterlite plant. I welcome the court ruling. Cabinet resolution should be enacted and enacted! The families of those shot for the plant must also get justice!" said DMK President MK Stalin.

"Madras High Court has refused permission to reopen the Sterlite plant in Thoothukudi. The ruling makes it clear that the growth that is available at the cost of the environment is dangerous," said DMK MP Kanimozhi. 

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Sterlite Copper plant in Thoothukudi to remain shut

The Madras High Court on Tuesday pronounced its verdict on the petition challenging the Tamil Nadu Government's decision to shut down the Sterlite copper smelting plant in Thoothukudi refusing to allow the reopening of Vedanta-owned plant. A division bench of Justices T S Sivagnanam and V Bhavani Subbaroyan pronounced the verdict, on the petition filed by Vedanta Limited against the State government's closure order against the Sterlite Copper Plant on May 28, 2018. In addition to the verdict, which came nearly 7 months after the court reserved its order, the Madras HC also dismissed all other petitions filed by Vedanta on the matter. 

The Tamil Nadu government advocated strongly against the reopening of the plant accusing the company of polluting the environment and the groundwater in the area. However, the shutting down of Sterlite Copper led to a serious shortage of the mineral for copper-rich India, ultimately forcing the country to export the commodity since the closure of the plant in 2018.

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