Medha Patkar passport row: Social worker says there is a 'deliberate attempt to target activists'
Narmada Bachao Andolan activist Medha Patkar on Thursday said there was a “deliberate attempt to target” social workers, News18 reported. Patkar made the comments hours after she received a notice from the Regional Passport Office in Mumbai to explain why her passport should not be impounded after she allegedly failed to disclose information about criminal cases pending against her.
“This is a deliberate attempt to target activists and challenge their morality,” she said in Bhopal, where she was leading protests for those affected due to the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Madhya Pradesh. Patkar claimed there had been coordinated efforts to jail those who lead mass movements.
A show-cause notice was issued to Patkar on October 18, and the passport office also sought details from the director general of Madhya Pradesh Police. The passport authorities have noted that nine criminal cases against Patkar are pending at present. Three of the cases are in Barwani district, one in Alirajpur district and five in Khandwa district. Most of the cases contain charges of rioting and obstructing government officials from carrying out their duty.
“Cases mentioned in the notice seem to be those filed during our absolutely non-violent peaceful agitations for justice for the development projects [dams]-affected families and for no other...
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