Medha Patkar

A court here on Monday suspended the sentence of five months' simple imprisonment awarded to Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar in a defamation case filed against her by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena 23 years ago, when he headed an NGO in Gujarat. On an appeal filed by Patkar, Metropolitan Magistrate Raghav Sharma suspended the sentence and also issued a notice to the opposite party (LG), Saxena's counsel Gajinder Kumar said. The court also granted bail to Patkar on a bail bond and surety bond of Rs 25,000, he said. Kumar, who received the notice, said a reply has to be filed before the next date of hearing in the matter on September 4. The court had sentenced Patkar to jail on July 1. The court had convicted Patkar on May 24, observing that her statements calling Saxena a "coward" and alleging his involvement in "hawala" transactions were not only defamatory per se, but also crafted to incite negative perceptions about him. Also, the accusation that the complainan

Medha Patkar has been in a legal battle with VK Saxena, now the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, since 2000 after she sued him for publishing advertisements against her and the Narmada Bachao Andolan

A court here on Friday reserved for July 1 its order on the quantum of sentence against activist Medha Patkar in a defamation case lodged against her by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena when he headed an NGO in Gujarat. Metropolitan Magistrate Raghav Sharma reserved the order after noting that the Delhi Legal Services Authority (DLSA) submitted a victim impact report (VIR). The report is prepared after the conviction of an accused to assess the quantum of loss suffered by the victim. The offence entails a maximum punishment of simple imprisonment of up to two years or fine or both. Earlier on May 24, the court had observed that Patkar's statements calling Saxena a "coward" and alleging his involvement in hawala transactions were not only defamatory per se but also crafted to incite negative perceptions about him. Also, the accusation that the complainant was "mortgaging" the people of Gujarat and their resources to foreign interests was a direct attack on his integrity and pub

Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar on Monday said infrastructure projects should not be launched without properly assessing their ecological impact as she extended support to the Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti. Arriving in the subsidence-hit Uttarakhand town on Monday, Patkar apologised for visiting late. "The Joshimath crisis is a warning bell. The authorities must wake up to the damage caused by mega development projects to the fragile Himalayan ecology," she said. Infrastructure projects should not be launched without properly assessing their impact on the ecology, Patkar added. She also addressed a meeting organised by the Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti on the tehsil premises and said she stood with the affected people. The Samiti's 11-point list of demands includes the permanent scrapping of the NTPC's Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel power and the Helang-Marwadi bypass road projects that, it feels, are responsible for the subsidence crisis in Joshimath. It has also dema

Nadda said, Medha Patkar has always taken a stand for anti-development. Rahul Gandhi standing next to her means he is also anti-Gujarati"

Union Home Minister and BJP MP Amit Shah on Wednesday said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's gesture of taking along anti-Narmada activist Medha Patkar during his Bharat Jodo Yatra is the "biggest insult" meted out to Gujarat's people by the Opposition party. He was addressing a poll rally in Jasdan town in Rajkot district in support of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Kunvarji Bavalia for the next month's Gujarat Assembly elections. Voting on Jasdan and 88 other seats will be held on December 1 in the first phase of the two-phase polls. "Medha Patkar, who had stalled the Narmada dam project through litigation, is now walking with Congress' prince Rahul Gandhi. The party owes an answer to the people. This is akin to sprinkling salt on the wounds of the people of Gujarat," the Gandhinagar MP said. The official handle of Bharat Jodo' had tweeted a photo of Patkar with Gandhi when the Yatra was in Maharashtra, along with a caption, When you do something for the society, people ...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for walking with Narmada Bachao Andolan activist Medha Patkar during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. A Congress leader was seen taking out a padyatra with a woman who stalled the Narmada dam project for three decades, Modi said, addressing a rally at Dhoraji in the poll-bound state. Ask the Congress when it comes to demand your vote that you are taking out a padyatra by keeping your hand on the shoulders of those who were against Narmada dam. What would have happened had Narmada dam not been built,Modi said. Gujarat will go to polls in two phases on December 1 and 5 with the counting of votes on December 8 along with that of Himachal Pradesh. Of the total 182 Assembly seats in Gujarat, voting for 89 seats will be held on December 1 and the balance 93 seats on December 5.

Former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani on Saturday attacked Congress over activist Medha Patkar joining its 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', saying she had opposed the Narmada dam project

According to the sources, Patkar has till date not submitted any reply despite the lapse of more than 30 days

Government deputed about 8,000-10,000 policemen in the area, locals said

To protest against alleged forced eviction of the affected families from Sardar Sarovar Project area