Police raid activist Kavita Srivastava's Jaipur residence

New Delhi: Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh police today jointly raided activist Kavita Srivastava’s house in Jaipur on the pretext of sheltering Maoists. The People’s Union for Civil Liberties member played a crucial role in fighting for justice for Binayak Sen and is currently challenging the Right to Food in the apex court. She is also taking on the Rajasthan government for missing Dalit nurse Bhanwari Devi.[caption id=“attachment_97896” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“PUCL member Kavita Srivastava. Image courtesy ibnlive”] [/caption] Srivastava has recently launched a scathing attack against Planning Commission, Deputy Chairman, Montek Singh Ahluwalia for his “ridiculous” affidavit submitted in the Supreme Court. She alleges that the Planning Commission affidavit fails to clarify Supreme Court’s query on Below Poverty Line “caps” and a request by the Bench to re-consider its stand on the poverty line. “Subsequently, you have gone on defensively to say that the poverty line has no relationship to food subsidy. Yet, all central Government allocations for programmes such as PDS, pensions etc. are made based on these poverty ratios,” the letter reads. The letter sought to understand if Rs 25 for rural areas and 32 for urban areas per capita expenditure was “adequate” then why Planning Commission members are paid up to 115 times the amount (not counting the perks of free housing and health care and numerous other benefits that are enjoyed by you and members). The right to food campaign challenges the Rs 25 / 32 amount a day till such time the competent authorities are able to explain the basis of the statement and how this amount is normatively “adequate”, Srivastava’s letter said.