Will farmers also be charged with attempt to suicide: Medha

New Delhi, Apr 8 (UNI) After three days of enforced silence at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences -- an event some say spoke volumes on the Government's lop-sided development agenda -- Medha Patkar hit out at the Government from her hospital bed again today, asking why it should not be charged with killing an entire river valley.

''Scores of farmers are committing suicide in this country. Can the Government and the police charge them with attempting suicide? On the contrary, it is clear that such allegations are made against the Government only,'' she said, challenging the administration that has registered a case of attempt to suicide against her.

''If the Government registers such a case against us then we too would press murder charges against the Government: murder of Narmada Valley; murder of humanity; murder of laws; etc,'' she was reported having told a group of NBA activists who met her in the hospital.

Besides Ms Patkar, police has registered cases under various sections of the IPC against 25 others also. The IPC sections include 186, 332, 353, 147, 149, 309, and 34 relating to disrupting police from performing its duty, rioting and illegal assembly etc.

Ms Patkar said this was not the first time that the NBA has met with such treatment. ''Those who commit crime themselves always accuse others of having done a crime,'' the NBA quoted her as having said.

The NBA, meanwhile, said it was waiting for the report of the three ministers who had toured parts of Narmada valley yesterday.

Eminent lawyer Prashant Bhushan and former Central SC/ST Commissioner B D Sharma, who ''monitored'' the ministerial visit, corroborated the NBA's claim that the official side did not go to submergence zones. But at the rehabilitation sites the ministers could see the poor infrastructure facilities etc that have been made for the dam oustees, they said.

The ministerial team returned after its whistle-stop survey this afternoon, but was yet to make a statement till late evening.

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