Thoothukudi: The BJP in Tamil Nadu has suspected “hidden hands” behind the protests by salt-pan workers and fishermen against the proposed shipbuilding project at Mullakadu-Kovalam in Thoothukudi.
Salt-pan workers staged a black flag protest on September 7, opposing attempts to hand over traditional salt production lands in the Mullakadu and Kovalam Sea areas to multinational companies. Fishermen also protested against the proposed shipbuilding yard, citing concerns over environmental pollution.
#WATCH | Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu: Salt-pan workers staged a black flag protest at around 6:30 a.m. today, opposing attempts to hand over traditional salt production lands in the Mullakadu and Kovalam Sea areas to multinational companies. Fishermen also staged protests against the… pic.twitter.com/jjCYVboFIf
— ANI (@ANI) September 7, 2026
Reacting to the protests, BJP functionary Vinoj P Selvam said, “Next protest has started. Our thanks to TN government and outfits which took to streets opposing mobilising public. Through them PM Modi government had saved crores of project. When Modi government wanted to invest Rs. 1,21,000,00,00,000! But TN government said firm No to it. Thus it had rejected Rs. 1 lakh 21 thousand crores – a saving for Central govt”.
Listing projects that Tamil Nadu allegedly lost, Selvam said, “In Thoouthukudi a shipyard with Cenre’s subsidy of Rs.13,000 cr., Paranthur greenfield Airport Rs.29,000 (2026), Chennai-Salem Expressway (which was later extended to Coimbatore), Kulachal international port Rs.27,500 cr. (2018) plus it helped now Keralam to move for expansion of second project at an estimated investment of Rs.16,000cr, Cuddalore-Nagarjuna oil refinery Rs.25,000 crores (2015) and all these mega projects were halted besides taking away the job opportunities.”
He added, “They were stopped at threshold of doorsteps to return to the Centre. Such ill-conceived move not only helped the coffers of the Central government to replenish. We should thank the protestors also for protecting to the youths and their future, employment opportunities. No use in crying over roof that Central government is not giving funds to States. We are doing only that”.
இதோ அடுத்த போராட்டம் ஆரம்பித்துவிட்டது!
பிரதமர் திரு @narendramodi அவர்களின் ஆட்சிக் காலத்தில், போராட்டங்கள் மூலமாகவே மத்திய அரசுக்கு கோடிக்கணக்கான ரூபாயை மிச்சப்படுத்திக் கொடுத்துள்ள தமிழ்நாடு அரசுக்கும், அதற்காக வீதியில் இறங்கிப் போராடிய மாபெரும் போராட்டக்காரர்களுக்கும்… pic.twitter.com/ncMryXY8K6
— Vinoj P Selvam (@VinojBJP) September 7, 2026
Ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls, a TVK candidate had supported those who opposed the Thoothukudi Hyundai Shipyard project during the poll campaign. Questions are now being raised over their silence.
Look what I found😭. This Tiruchendur TVK candidate supported those who opposed the Thoothukudi Hyundai shipyard project during election campaign. Wow🙌🏻🙏🏻 https://t.co/qlVd8wxGAS pic.twitter.com/AGOpmOlwfB
— Gojo (@G_o_j_o_s) September 7, 2026
An X user, indicist, posted that only around 20 people were protesting against HD Hyundai and claimed that the protests appeared staged. The post also compared the number of protesters with those opposing Google’s data centre in Vizag.
Salt-pan workers stage a black-flag protest in Thoothukudi, urging the shipbuilding yard to be established at an alternative location https://t.co/TYQE7hlgb2 pic.twitter.com/Vvv3b0K37w
— Kannan Jeevanantham (JK) (@Im_kannanj) September 7, 2026
Critics pointed this describing as a pattern of opposition to Central government projects and state government developmental activities in the name of environmental concerns and farmers’ livelihood. They cited the Sterlite closure, the Koodankulam Atomic Power Project and the proposed Parandur greenfield airport.
They also referred to the Central government’s Rs.27,570 crore project under the Sagarmala scheme, which faced protests from fisherfolk.
The nodal agency, V.O. Chidambaranar Port Trust (VOCPT), subsequently searched for an alternative site and relocated the proposal to a coastal stretch between Keelamanakudi and Kovalam villages. The project was later shelved permanently and the Vizhinjam project came up in Kerala.
The critics alleged that there was a pattern in these developments and said that yielding to pressure from such groups could affect overall developmental activities.
On the Sterlite closure issue, they alleged a hidden hand of China through NGOs. In the Koodankulam issue, they alleged the involvement of the USA, while in the Colachel port issue they alleged the involvement of NGOs backed by churches.
In July this year, nearly 2,000 people, including salt-pan lessees of ‘poramboke’ lands, patta landholders and salt-pan workers, staged an agitation against the state government’s proposal to allocate poramboke lands leased for salt pans for a shipbuilding project.
The project is proposed at the Mullakadu-Kovalam beach as part of a joint venture formed between SIPCOT and the Union Ministry of Shipping.
The protesters said, “It is unethical to replace the salterns with a multinational shipbuilding industry.” They also rejected the district administration’s allocation of a SIPCOT-owned land parcel for developing salt pans at Vaippar village to rehabilitate and resettle those who would be displaced by the project.
Kovalam Pasuntharai small-scale salt producers’ association secretary P Sekar, speaking to the media at the time, rejected the district administration’s package of alternative land and compensation for salt producers.
Sekar said the package was an eye wash and demanded that the district administration relocate the shipbuilding project to Vaippar, where the sea depth is 30 feet, compared with 14 feet at Mullakadu.
The protesters alleged that the shipbuilding project would affect fishing activity and cause pollution.
Salt-pan workers said they had been working in the area for generations and that their livelihood would be affected if the shipbuilding project comes up.
The agitators warned in July, “If the district administration did not consider our reasonable demands, the agitation would acquire the magnitude of the anti-Sterlite agitation.”
