BJP MPs Walk Out Over Medha Patkar, Prakash Raj's Presence

The meeting of the Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj in Parliament on Tuesday morning came under controversy. BJP MPs boycotted the meeting due to the presence of personalities like controversial social activist Medha Patkar and actor-activist Prakash Raj. With their exit, the meeting was adjourned due to lack of quorum.

The agenda of the Standing Committee meeting chaired by Congress MP Saptagiri Shankar Ulaka included consideration and adoption of two draft reports on government action by the Department of Land Resources and the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. It also included oral testimony of 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.

The controversy erupted when BJP members discovered that the individuals to appear before the committee, including Medha Patkar and actor-activist Prakash Raj, had not been listed in advance, or were not informed about it. Several BJP MPs raised strong objections, alleging that the inclusion of such individuals known to criticise the government was politically motivated and inappropriate for discussion.

BJP MP Rupala led
BJP MP Purushottam Rupala led the protest, saying Medha Patkar had long opposed national development initiatives, particularly projects crucial 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 she (Megha Patkar) had her way, half of Gujarat would have been hit by drought.

Demand for transparency in witness list
His stand was supported by 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 Speaker for not disclosing the names. It was later revealed that only Sanjay Jaiswal had received a copy of the list of witnesses, leading to allegations of procedural irregularity.

Cited permission of Lok Sabha Speaker
Despite repeated inquiries, it was not clear why Prakash Raj was present outside the meeting room. His name was not in any official list shared with the members. The situation worsened when after the meeting began, the members were told that the Speaker had allegedly obtained the permission of the Lok Sabha Speaker to invite controversial personalities. However, the ruling party MPs opposed the claim, saying that no such permission was given.

Congress MPs defend Speaker
Congress MPs Mohammad Javed and Imran Masood supported the Speaker, defending the inclusion of diverse voices and accusing the BJP of politicising the issue. But Raju Bista responded, warning that such decisions should not provoke members by bringing in individuals with a “clear political agenda”.

Patkar facing 45-50 cases
Dr Sanjay Jaiswal said in the discussion, “In the history of parliamentary proceedings, we have never kept members in the dark about who is appearing and why. Medha Patkar is facing about 45 to 50 cases filed by the Centre and various state governments – how can such a person represent public interest before a parliamentary panel?”