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Medha Patkar mobbed in violence at Gandhi ashram

Raising slogans like Medha Patkar hai hai, they said that the NBA leader had no business to be in Gujarat. "We do not need Medha for peace in Gujarat," said many of them.

The mob had barged into the ashram in Ahmedabad after 1400 hours when Patkar was in a post-lunch peace meeting with other NGO leaders and Gandhians.

The protestors were led by Amit Thakkar, president of the BJP's youth wing, and also included activists and leaders cutting across party lines.

"After denying us water, she has come to bring peace," Thakkar screamed as he moved towards Patkar and even caught her by the shoulder.

However, police personnel and others present on the occasion prevented the situation from getting out of hand.

Patkar was immediately whisked inside a room guarded by police personnel.

However, the mob stayed on in the complex and continued to raise slogans.

Besides Thakkar, protestors included BJP corporator Amit Shah, Congress corporator from Sabarmati Rambai Patel and a local medical practitioner Dr Parag Thakkar.

The protestors maintained that Patkar had 'harmed the interests of Gujarat by opposing the much awaited Sardar Sarovar Project'.

Later, a police contingent marched in and, according to an eyewitness account, resorted to a lathicharge to bring the situation under control.

Among those injured in the lathicharge were several mediapersons, including NDTV cameraman Pranab Joshi, who received head injuries, and 'Aaj Tak' reporter Dhiman Purohit.

Joshi has been admitted to Shreya Hospital in Ahmedabad and doctors attending him said he was 'okay'.

According to BJP sources, Chief Minister Narendra Modi and BJP leader Haren Pandya spoke to Pranab Joshi by telephone.

Among others injured were photo-journalists Harsh Pandya (ETv), Amit Dave (Jansatta), Gautam Mehta (Gujarat Samachar), Kalpit Bachech (Times of India), Harsh Shah (Indian Express) and Sanjeev Singh (NDTV) and four other journalists of vernacular dailies.

Meanwhile, a group of mediapersons lodged a complaint with police headquarters. In his complaint, Purohit demanded action against the police officials for the lathicharge on the mediapersons covering the peace meeting.

Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Gordhanbhai Zadhapia assured the mediapersons that action would be taken on the basis of the complaint.

Additional commissioner of police Shivanand Jha later regretted the assault on mediapersons and told newspersons that he was 'sorry' for whatever has happened. "It should not have happened," he added.

Renowned danseuse and television personality Mallika Sarabhai, who also runs an NGO Prakriti, was among those who were present at the peace meeting.

V K Saxena, president of the National Council for Civil Liberty (NCCL), which has been undertaking a sustained media campaign against Patkar, demanded, "Patkar must quit Gujarat".

"We will not allow her to exploit pious place like the Gandhi ashram for all her anti-Gujarat and anti-water activities," he said.

At the same venue, another meeting organised by Gandhian Chinubhai Vaidya, Narayan Desai and Prakash Shah went on peacefully till evening without any disturbance.

PTI

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