A heated confrontation erupted during a parliamentary committee meeting on Tuesday after BJP MPs staged a dramatic walkout over the decision to invite activist Medha Patkar, whom they labelled “anti-national.” The protest forced an early adjournment of the Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj due to lack of quorum.
Former Union minister and BJP MP Parshottam Rupala led the exodus, with several BJP lawmakers expressing outrage that Patkar — known for her leadership of the Narmada Bachao Andolan against the Sardar Sarovar Dam project — was invited to share her views on the 2013 land acquisition law. One furious BJP MP even questioned if the panel might as well invite Pakistan’s leaders next.
Committee chairman and Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka defended the move to invite Patkar, calling it standard practice to consult civil society stakeholders on important legislation. “We wanted to hear diverse opinions, but they [BJP MPs] didn’t allow it,” Ulaka told PTI.
The controversy stems from Patkar’s longstanding opposition to projects like the Sardar Sarovar Dam — a scheme championed by then-Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi — which BJP leaders claim undermined national development. Modi has repeatedly criticized attempts to stall the dam, citing delays since its foundation in the 1960s.
After BJP MPs exited the meeting, Ulaka declared it adjourned due to the absence of the required quorum of 10 members. Sources said the panel had also called officials from the Environment Ministry and other activists, including actor Prakash Raj, but BJP MPs objected specifically to Patkar’s presence.
Reacting to the abrupt end, Patkar confirmed she had been formally invited and had previously appeared before parliamentary committees without issue. “I have never seen anything like this. It is important to discuss the land acquisition law,” she said, expressing disappointment at the disruption.
