[5] She has been a part of numerous teams and panels that work on initiating and formulating various national policies and enactments including those related to land acquisition, unorganized sector workers, hawkers, slum-dwellers and forest-dweller Adivasis.
NAPM filed several public interest litigations including those against Adarsh society, Lavasa Megacity, Hiranandani(Powai) and as well as other builders.
Few of the claims and critique on economic, social, and environmental aspects of the Sardar Sarovar and Narmada valley development project stand vindicated today.
Patkar has also questioned the wisdom of the currently popular developmental strategy of linking rivers in India as a means to address issues of water shortage.
[16] There had also been instances of the NBA activists turning violent and attacking rehabilitation officer from Narmada Valley Development Authority (NVDA), which caused damage to the contractor's machinery.
Strong people's movement was founded by Medha Patkar and others when she gave the slogan in a large public meeting at Azaad Maidaan Mumbai.
It was through mass action that the communities were rebuilt on the same sites and continued to assert and attain their right to shelter water, electricity, sanitation, and livelihood.
As members of working-class GBGBA respect the slum-dwellers for contribution to the life of the city and involve them inequitable and inclusive planning for urban development.
She explained that "the politicians are interested in the prime plots of land, old equipment, and machinery," of sugar co-operatives and accused the state government of selling assets of the industry at throw-away rates.
[28] Medha Patkar along with other activists registered in PIL in the High Court of Mumbai, alleging violations by property tycoon Niranjan Hiranandani in building luxury flats instead of affordable houses.
Hiranandani had signed a lease for the 230 acres of land in 1986 at a rate of Re 1 per hectare in a tripartite agreement with the state and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority.
[32] Patkar expressed strong opposition to the land acquisition in Kovvada of Ranasthalam Mandal in Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh saying that the nuclear plant would be a disaster for ecology as well as people of the region.
She was speaking at a protest meet against the CPM-led Kerala government's ambitious SilverLine semi high speed rail corridor project on 24 March 2022.
However, Medha did not participate as an active politician but adhered herself to creating an atmosphere and environment by organizing a fifteen days Maharashtra state-level campaign.
She and her organization, National Alliance of People's Movement, provided support to the Aam Aadmi Party during the Lok Sabha campaign.
[42] On 16 November 2022, she participated in the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi in Washim, Maharashtra.
The case stemmed from an incident in 2001 when Saxena, then president of the National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL), filed a defamation suit against Patkar.
On 24 May 2024, Metropolitan Magistrate Raghav Sharma of the Saket Court convicted Patkar of criminal defamation under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code.
The court ruled that Patkar's actions were deliberate and malicious, asserting that her statements directly attacked Saxena's personal character and loyalty to the nation.
The court also noted that Patkar had failed to provide evidence countering the claims of intended or foreseeable harm caused by her imputations.
[46][47] Despite rejecting Patkar's request for release on probation, the court considered her age and health conditions and chose not to impose the maximum punishment of one to two years of imprisonment.