Medha Patkar asks Mohan Bhagwat about how RSS plans to conserve Narmada

Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar on Monday asked RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat what his organisation plans to conserve Narmada and alleged that tracts of land along the holy river were being handed over to private companies under the pretext of implementing government schemes "Government policies have been charted out to hand over tracts of lands along river Narmada to private companies after grabbing them, but people displaced by big dam projects have not been compensated with land yet," Patkar said at a press conference in Indore.

"I want to ask Bhagwat what the RSS plans to do to conserve Narmada," she said, seeking to know what was the RSS' stand on big dam projects on the Narmada.

"Bhagwat said that some organisations working on rivers where involved in anti-national activities. He should specifically name these organisations," Patkar said.

The activist said that she and anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare would participate in a 'Maha Dharna' on February 23 and February 24 at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to protest amendments made to the Land Acquisition Act using the ordinance route, by Narendra Modi's government. She said that these amendments were made merely to favour private companies and real estate developers.

These amendments have been initiated to grab the lands of farmers, labourers, urban poor and fishermen, she said.