Coimbatore : Amid controversy over illegal earth mining for brick kilns in Thadagam on the outskirts, raised by social activists, DMK Wednesday sought to term the issue as a false propaganda by vested interests.

Some activists, including Ganeshan, through RTI had gathered information that majority of the 200 brick kilns in and around the area, was illegally mining, thus creating environmental hazard and named one of the DMK functionary’s involvement in the matter.

Terming it as false propaganda, DMK North District secretary, C R Ramachandran told reporters that thousands of persons were dependents on the brick industry.

Stating that kilns were functioning for the last three generations in villages, including Thadagam, some 20 Kms from here, he said that in the garb of social activists, some persons were involved in providing wrong information and calling names, in an uncivilised manner.

Brick kilns required soil and without soil how can bricks made, he asked and said that more than 30,000 persons are depending on the industry and another one lakh indirectly.

” This is nothing but a pre-planned and motivated allegations against the industry and kiln owners, who are mining in their land” he said.

Bricks were used for construction purpose even in foreign countries .

There was the need to protect the industry and one should not not believe in such false propaganda, Ramachandran said and sought stringent action against those involved in it.