A Marol woman saw the dark side of an environmental activist after she wrote a post on Facebook supporting the Metro projects in the city on Thursday. Her opinion which was critical of NGO Vanashakti, one of the petitioners in the ongoing Aarey hearing in the high court, earned her much scorn.
Under pressure, Punita took down her views from her FB wall but not before handing over a complaint to the MIDC police in Andheri. Punita, who requested DNA to not publish her details, has accused activist D Stalin of Vanashakti of threatening her over the post. “He warned me of dire consequences,” she said.
The NGO is opposed to the proposed carshed at Aarey Colony for the Colaba–Bandra-SEEPZ Metro-3 line, which the government says is an efficient mode of mass-transit system and will cut down pollution in future.
However, Vanashakti has been at the receiving end at the HC. On Thursday, the court said it would not hear the NGO's petition, which seeks to declare Aarey a forest, anymore after it learnt that the matter was pending before the SC. A day earlier, the court had termed the petition a “mess”. It was particularly irked at the long-winded manner in which the petition was drafted.
NGO At Receiving End In HC
|
On Thursday, HC said it won’t hear Vanashakti’s plea anymore saying the matter is pending in SC. NGO wants Aarey to be tagged as a forest.
|
| On Wednesday, court termed the petition a “mess”. It was particularly irked at the long-winded manner in which the petition was drafted. |
“When he [Stalin] read the post, he called me and threatened me. He also asked me to delete the post which later I did.” However, the ordeal didn't end for Punita. “Despite talking to me and threatening me, he called one of my friends who is also an activist. In return, my friend called my family and told them that they could get into deep trouble. Your daughter shouldn't have done that what she did, said the friend.”
The Marol resident said Stalin even got in touch with her Facebook connects and sought her contact details, which he had already had.
An officer from MIDC police station said that there was nothing defamatory in the post. “We have taken her complaint. We will probe into her allegations.”
Stalin refused to comment on the matter. “I, don't want to speak about it to anyone,” he said before disconnecting the call.
