A German national held, deported for aiding anti-nuke protests in India

Chennai/New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) A German national was deported from Tamil Nadu in the wee hours today after he was picked up by local police in Nagercoil in the southern Indian state for his alleged "active involvement" in the protests against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant project (KNPP). Sonnteg Reiner Hermann (49) was detained last night in Nagercoil by a section of Q branch police officials monitoring the anti-KNPP protests after they were alerted by central intelligence agencies, police sources said in Chennai. In New Delhi, acting Ambassador of Germany Meier Klodt told reporters that they learned about the incident this morning. "Through our channels we have been informed that by now the German has left the country. I don't have any more information at my disposal," he said. Asked whether the German Embassy has contacted the Indian government, the envoy replied in the negative. After being picked up in Nagercoil in southern Tamil Nadu, Hermann was brought to state capital Chennai last night for interrogation and was deported from the international air terminus at around 1 AM local time. India's Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office V Narayanasamy said the German national was staying in a small hotel near the Kudankulam plant and that he has been going around for the last 15 days. "On suspicion, the Tamil Nadu government followed him and ultimately found that he has been roaming around the area.... We have been informed that he has been actively involved in the anti-nuclear programme, especially the Kudankulam power plant," he said. The arrest comes days after India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh accused US-based NGOs of funding the protests. Narayanasamy also said the government has not got any information on the funding aspect with regard to the German national. Criticising the decision to deport the German, NGOs, which are leading the anti-Nuclear protests at Kudankulam, said he has been in India for the past few years. "I have met this man even four to five years ago. He identified himself as a friend of India," S P Udayakumar, spearheading the protests, said. He also denied having received any funds from NGOs and accused the government of waging a "psychological war" against them. PTI