New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday questioned the BJP's silence on "illegal" felling of trees in the Ridge area and said the party's stand on Delhi's pollution is just "politics".
Addressing a press conference, senior AAP leader Jasmine Shah said that ever since the matter came to light, the BJP and Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena have maintained 'silence' on it.
He said, "BJP is the first party to do politics on the issue of pollution and shed crocodile tears on it. They have stopped many works of the Delhi government on the issue of pollution. Why are they silent?" He said.
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has been accused of cutting 1,100 trees without proper permission. The Supreme Court, hearing a case related to this matter, has directed the Delhi government and civic agencies to discuss comprehensive measures to increase the green cover of the city.
Shah also asked whether DDA and forest department officials were under pressure from their superiors regarding the matter. He claimed that the officials were asked to appear before the three-member fact-finding committee constituted by Environment Minister Gopal Rai, but they decided not to appear.
In an act of defiance, the Principal Secretary of the Environment and Forest Department on Monday questioned the formation of the Delhi government's fact-finding committee and claimed that it violated rules and could amount to contempt of the Supreme Court.
The committee, which includes ministers Atishi, Saurabh Bhardwaj and Imran Hussain, was formed in accordance with the decision taken at a meeting of Delhi government ministers on June 29, in which the DDA allegedly carried out construction work in the Southern Ridge area without necessary permissions. The felling of 1,100 trees was investigated. ,
Addressing a press conference, senior AAP leader Jasmine Shah said that ever since the matter came to light, the BJP and Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena have maintained 'silence' on it.
He said, "BJP is the first party to do politics on the issue of pollution and shed crocodile tears on it. They have stopped many works of the Delhi government on the issue of pollution. Why are they silent?" He said.
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has been accused of cutting 1,100 trees without proper permission. The Supreme Court, hearing a case related to this matter, has directed the Delhi government and civic agencies to discuss comprehensive measures to increase the green cover of the city.
Shah also asked whether DDA and forest department officials were under pressure from their superiors regarding the matter. He claimed that the officials were asked to appear before the three-member fact-finding committee constituted by Environment Minister Gopal Rai, but they decided not to appear.
In an act of defiance, the Principal Secretary of the Environment and Forest Department on Monday questioned the formation of the Delhi government's fact-finding committee and claimed that it violated rules and could amount to contempt of the Supreme Court.
The committee, which includes ministers Atishi, Saurabh Bhardwaj and Imran Hussain, was formed in accordance with the decision taken at a meeting of Delhi government ministers on June 29, in which the DDA allegedly carried out construction work in the Southern Ridge area without necessary permissions. The felling of 1,100 trees was investigated. ,
