Union government officials show unwavering trust in Vedanta, rather than ancient scriptures, in regard to the tungsten mining project in Madurai,

Madurai MP Su Venkatesan criticized the Union government for prioritizing corporate interests over the well-being of people, citing the example of the proposed tungsten mining project by Hindustan Zinc Ltd., a subsidiary of Vedanta. He accused the government of deliberately downplaying the project’s risks and avoiding mentioning local names to undermine public resistance. Citing international studies, Venkatesan warned of severe health risks, including cancer and cardiac illnesses, from tungsten mining waste. He condemned the project, which he believed posed an imminent threat to the environment and the livelihoods of locals. Venkatesan also expressed frustration with the Union minister’s response to his concerns, calling it “insincere” and “defamatory”. He urged continued protests until the Union government withdraws the project and urged people to remain steadfast in opposing the project to prevent it from repeating the mistakes of the past, such as the controversies surrounding Vedanta’s operations in Tuticorin.