The Hindu : National : Medha Patkar held, released

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Monday, Mar 27, 2006

National

National

Medha Patkar held, released

Staff Reporter

Narmada Bachao Andolan leader questions conduct of Centre

— Photo: V.V. Krishnan

AT THEIR SIDE: Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar at the Parliament Street Police Station after being evicted from the dharna site outside the Water Resources Ministry in New Delhi on Sunday.

NEW DELHI: A day after a delegation called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and reportedly extracted an assurance from him, Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar and scores of activists camping outside Shram Shakti Bhawan here on Rafi Marg were detained by the police on Sunday.

They were released only after they agreed to continue their protest at nearby Jantar Mantar.

Around 2-30 p.m., the police forced the protesting farmers into their vehicles and transported them to Parliament Street police station where they were kept confined for about three hours.

"They were detained under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act," said New Delhi Deputy Commissioner Anand Mohan. The provision pertains to detention for disobeying the lawful directions of the police.

Questioning the "conduct" of the United Progressive Alliance Government, Ms. Patkar said action was taken despite the assurance given on Saturday by the Prime Minister to the protesters that in the next two days he would inform them about the developments following talks with Ministers on resettlement and rehabilitation of the displaced people.

"Such a step seems to have been taken under some pressure," Ms. Patkar said, adding that the protest would continue till their demands were met. "We had been sitting there for the past nine days, during which the police did not take any action against us. Then what happened so suddenly that led them to remove us from there," she asked. Ms. Patkar said the fight for their rights would continue. She offered some eatables to the protesters after the police announced they protesters would be released.

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