Anti-methane project movement leader K Jayaraman, his wife and two others were arrested on Monday when they attempted to protest against ONGC’s proposal to set up a oil and natural gas exploration project at a village in the district. Police also detained more than 150 villagers for resorting to a protest demanding the release of Jayaraman and the others.

The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has been preparing to execute oil and natural gas exploratory wells at Thannanjaru village in Nannilam in the district. Opposing ONGC’s move, Jayaraman arrived at the village on Monday morning along with his wife J Chitra and supporters Arulnesan and Prithviraj. Though they had organised the protest secretly, police, on a tip-off, arrived at the spot and arrested all four. They were taken to Eravanjeri police station.

Opposing police action, about 150 residents gathered at the bus stand in Nannilam and resorted to a road blockade. They raised slogans carrying placards and demanding the Jayaraman’s and others release immediately. Due to the protest, vehicular traffic was affected and the entire area came to a standstill.

Subsequently, police arrived there and arrested them and took them to a marriage hall and kept them until evening.

Speaking to reporters, Jayaraman said that he decided to take the residents of Thennanjaru to the collector and explain the ill-effects of the proposed exploration work and asking him to stop the project. “Police did not allow us to express our opposition in a democratic way,” he charged. Meanwhile, authorities from ONGC appealed to the protesters not to resort to any stir stating that the corporation was for people and it was the nation’s property. Incurring loss to the ONGC was a loss to the nation, they said.

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