Reports, Friday, said the Prime Minister made these allegations during an interview to an American journal 'Science'.

"The atomic energy programme has got into difficulties because these NGOs mostly, I think, based in the US, don't appreciate the need for our country to increase energy. The local NGO-led protests have stalled the commissioning of two 1000 mw nuclear reactors," Singh was quoted as telling the journal.

The Prime Minister’s tough remarks have come days after media reports claimed that foreign agents were whipping up a campaign against the Rs 13000-crore Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) located in Tirunelveli district of the state.

BANGALORE: Crisis in BJP's Karnataka unit appeared to worsen today with former chief minister B. S. Yeddyurappa insisting on a February 27 ultimatum for his reinstatement and party president Nitin Gadkari ruling out replacing incumbent Sadananda Gowda.

Yeddyurappa, who was forced to resign more than six months ago after a Lokayukta report indicted him on illegal mining, made it clear to the party chief that he was in no mood to wait any longer.

Ahead of the BJP's 'Chintan Manthan Baitak', Gadkari had a meeting with Yeddyurappa this morning and separately met Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda to bring about a truce.

Sources said Yeddyurappa was adamant on his stand and wants Gowda to be removed. Gowda, who was Yeddyurappa's choice for the post when he himself had to step down after being indicted in a graft case by the Karnataka Lokayukta, has now fallen out with Yeddyurappa.

The central leadership does not want a division in the party in Karnataka and is making an earnest attempt to placate Yeddyurappa and reason out with him.

When Yeddyurappa was asked to step down from the Chief Minister's post, two central leaders, Arun Jaitley and M. Venkaiah Naidu, were deputed to settle the issue amicably.

The outcome of the present crisis is still unclear as the central leadership is not keen on bringing in Yeddyurappa. However, his hold over the Lingayat community, which has been loyal to the BJP, and the fact that he has built the party in Karnataka over the years is weighing in his favour.

Yeddyurappa has also turned his foes like Jagadish Shettar, Rural Development and Panchayat Minister, into friends, adding to the problems of the top brass. — PTI

SYDNEY: The manager of the touring Indian cricket team GS Walia denied any rift between captain MS Dhoni and vice-captain Virender Sehwag, saying that it was a misunderstanding, not a rift.

It was expected that Dhoni and Sehwag would appear before the media in Sydney today and scotch the reports of any rift in the team after BCCI had asked both to sort out the issues in the interest of the team.

But they have avoided facing the media which was addressed by the manager of the Indian cricket team, GS Walia.

While talking to the media, Walia said: “There were some misunderstandings between Dhoni and Sehwag regarding the selection of the team. But it was certainly not a rift.”

Earlier on Thursday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had come up strongly to sort out the differences between the captain and the vice-captain, MS Dhoni and Virender Sehwag, of the touring Indian cricket team.

It was learnt that board secretary Sanjay Jagdale had spoken to both the players as well as the other senior members of the team and asked them to sort out their differences as soon as possible.

The board also asked the cricketers not to speak in public regarding the selection of the team.