02-13-2007, 12:48 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Setback to Patkar</b>
Pioneer News Service | New Delhi
SC seeks Gujarat, MP response on NBA foreign funding issue
<b>Finding its involvement in alleged anti-national activities, NGO Narmada Bachao Andolan led by social activist Medha Patkar failed to convince the Supreme Court on Monday that the allegations have no substance whatsoever to be entertained in the court.</b>
The Bench of Justices CK Thakker and LS Panta instead sought replies from the <b>State Governments of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, who sought four weeks' time to respond to serious allegations of sedition and anti-national activities funded by NBA through foreign funds.</b>
NBA strongly opposed the maintainability of the PIL filed by a Gujarat-based NGO National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL) claiming that "the court was being used as a forum to fight out personal battles".
Senior advocate Indra Jaising appearing for the NBA alleged that NCCL has filed the PIL by suppressing some crucial facts and as such the petition was not maintainable. The counsel alleged that NCCL's identical petition was dismissed by the Gujarat High Court in December 2001, of which there is not even a whisper.
A similar petition by the NGO was withdrawn from the apex court in 2005, Jaising submitted. She further relied on the fact that the delay by State Governments of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh indicated they had nothing substantial to comment on the issue and thus the petition must be dismissed on this single account. This was opposed by the State counsels who stated that within four weeks, their response in this regard will be tabled before the court.
During arguments, Jaising pointed out that though notice was issued to NBA and not to Patkar, the damage was "tangentially" being caused to the latter as "the real substance of allegation was against her." The allegations pertained to foreign funding received by NBA, which was used to train persons to engage in anti-national activities. In this regard, cases were lodged in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat and investigation reports by intelligence agencies and local police confirmed to the role of NBA in the alleged activities.
The Bench said till it goes into the response of the contesting parties, the issue of maintainability of the PIL would remain open.
The court on July 7 last year had issued notices to the Centre, NBA and one of its activists Rahul Banerjee on the NCCL plea seeking CBI probe into the alleged illegal activities of NBA. The court had not issued notices to Patkar and the CBI.
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Pioneer News Service | New Delhi
SC seeks Gujarat, MP response on NBA foreign funding issue
<b>Finding its involvement in alleged anti-national activities, NGO Narmada Bachao Andolan led by social activist Medha Patkar failed to convince the Supreme Court on Monday that the allegations have no substance whatsoever to be entertained in the court.</b>
The Bench of Justices CK Thakker and LS Panta instead sought replies from the <b>State Governments of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, who sought four weeks' time to respond to serious allegations of sedition and anti-national activities funded by NBA through foreign funds.</b>
NBA strongly opposed the maintainability of the PIL filed by a Gujarat-based NGO National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL) claiming that "the court was being used as a forum to fight out personal battles".
Senior advocate Indra Jaising appearing for the NBA alleged that NCCL has filed the PIL by suppressing some crucial facts and as such the petition was not maintainable. The counsel alleged that NCCL's identical petition was dismissed by the Gujarat High Court in December 2001, of which there is not even a whisper.
A similar petition by the NGO was withdrawn from the apex court in 2005, Jaising submitted. She further relied on the fact that the delay by State Governments of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh indicated they had nothing substantial to comment on the issue and thus the petition must be dismissed on this single account. This was opposed by the State counsels who stated that within four weeks, their response in this regard will be tabled before the court.
During arguments, Jaising pointed out that though notice was issued to NBA and not to Patkar, the damage was "tangentially" being caused to the latter as "the real substance of allegation was against her." The allegations pertained to foreign funding received by NBA, which was used to train persons to engage in anti-national activities. In this regard, cases were lodged in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat and investigation reports by intelligence agencies and local police confirmed to the role of NBA in the alleged activities.
The Bench said till it goes into the response of the contesting parties, the issue of maintainability of the PIL would remain open.
The court on July 7 last year had issued notices to the Centre, NBA and one of its activists Rahul Banerjee on the NCCL plea seeking CBI probe into the alleged illegal activities of NBA. The court had not issued notices to Patkar and the CBI.
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