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The agenda included the consideration and adoption of two draft reports on government actions by the Department of Land Resources and the Ministry of Panchayati Raj
BJP MP Purushottam Rupala led the protest, stating that Medha Patkar had long opposed national developmental initiatives, particularly projects vital to Gujarat’s water resources. Representational pic/PTI
The Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj met in Parliament on Tuesday morning, chaired by Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka. However, the meeting soon became contentious over the participation of controversial figures, particularly social activist Medha Patkar.
The agenda included the consideration and adoption of two draft reports on government actions by the Department of Land Resources and the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. It also featured scheduled oral testimonies from representatives of various ministries, NGOs, and other stakeholders on the implementation of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
Tensions emerged when BJP members discovered that individuals scheduled to appear before the committee, including Medha Patkar and actor-activist Prakash Raj, were not listed in advance or disclosed to them. Several BJP lawmakers expressed strong objections, alleging that the inclusion of such individuals, known for their criticism of the government, was politically motivated and inappropriate for the discussion.
BJP MP Purushottam Rupala led the protest, stating that Medha Patkar had long opposed national developmental initiatives, particularly projects vital to Gujarat’s water resources. “She has no moral standing to speak on such matters before the committee,” Rupala reportedly told members, adding that “if it were up to her, half of Gujarat would be drought-stricken.”
Supporting his stance were BJP MPs Dr Sanjay Jaiswal (Bihar), Raju Bista (West Bengal), and Jugal Kishore (Jammu). The members demanded transparency in the list of witnesses and criticised the chairman for withholding names. It was later revealed that only Sanjay Jaiswal received a copy of the witness list, prompting accusations of procedural irregularity.
Despite repeated questioning, there was no clarity on why Prakash Raj was present outside the meeting room. His name did not appear on any official list shared with members. The situation worsened when members were informed, after the meeting had already begun, that the chairman had allegedly obtained the Lok Sabha Speaker’s permission to invite the controversial figures. However, ruling party MPs contested this claim, asserting that no such approval had been granted.
Congress MPs Mohammad Javed and Imran Masood supported the chairman, defending the inclusion of diverse voices and accusing the BJP of politicising the issue. But Raju Bista countered, warning that such decisions should not provoke members by bringing in individuals with “a clear political agenda”.
Speaking to CNN-News18, Dr Sanjay Jaiswal remarked, “In the history of parliamentary proceedings, we have never seen members kept in the dark about who is appearing and why. Medha Patkar is facing nearly 45 to 50 cases filed by the central and various state governments—how can such a person represent public interest before a parliamentary panel?”
A committee member later told CNN-News18, on condition of anonymity, “The chairman is generally known to be fair and soft-spoken. But it appears he was under pressure from the top leadership of his party. Summoning known Gandhi family supporters like Medha Patkar sends the wrong message.”
The tension culminated in BJP MPs staging a walkout after the chairman insisted on proceeding with testimonies from ten NGO representatives. With their exit, the meeting was adjourned due to a lack of quorum.
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