Sadvi Padmavati, who is on an indefinite fast to save River Ganga was forcibly arrested from the Matri Sadan Ashram on January 31, 2020. She has been peacefully protesting the pollution of the river which she considers sacred.
According to Amar Ujala, the police forcefully arrested her and admitted her to Doon Hospital on account of a bulletin released by the Chief Medical Officer that her health was deteriorating. City Circle Officer Abhay Pratap Singh confirmed the incident.
However, Sadhvi Padmavati has declared that she will not end her fast and whatever treatment has to be delivered to her will only be allowed if it happens at the Ashram.
In the video, Sadhvi Padmavati can be heard saying that she is in the pink of health and the doctors too have given her the all clear. It can be seen how the police forcefully placed her on a stretcher, while she is crying and saying that she is absolutely fine. She is constantly seen asking, “Why are they taking me away? I am absolutely fine! The CM of Uttarakhand, Trivendra Singh Rawat is trying to get me killed.”
Sadhvi Padmavati has been on a fast unto death since December 15, 2019 in her bid to save the River Ganga. Nitish Kumar, the CM of Bihar too had come out in her support for taking up this mission. The CM of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath too had sent his representatives asking her to give up her fast, but she refused to do so.
Post her arrest, a petition against Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat, SDM Kusum Chauhan, CMO Dr. Saroj Naithani, station Head & SDM (Laksar) Sunaina Rana has been filed in the court.
Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) has issued a statement saying that it is outraged at the way the police arrested Sadhvi Padmavati and demands that her grievances about the River Ganga be addressed right away.
HfHR cofounders Giri Iyengar and Sunita Viswanath traveled a week ago to Haridwar to the Matri Sadan Ashram to meet the community of renunciants who are doing Satyagraha for Maa Ganga. Four sadhus have already died while fasting to save the river. 23-year-old Sadhvi Padmavati was on fast for 37 days when we met her. We found her to be serene and strong in her Satyagraha. The movement has four demands:
* Closing 4 dams
* Stopping sewage flow into the river
* No factories too close to the river
* Enacting a law to protect the river
Sadhvi Padmavati, like Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand (Prof GD Agrawal) who passed away after fighting for the sanctity of the Ganges, has been protesting the illegal mining which is still rampant in the river and its tributaries that has been banned in the Ganga Act.
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