BJP MPs Walk Out Of Parliamentary Panel Meet, Objecting To Presence Of Medha Patkar, Prakash Raj
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
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.
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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.
First Published:
July 02, 2025, 03:20 IST
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