Launching a scathing attack on the Lieutenant Governor (LG) over the illegal felling of 1100 trees in the Satbari ridge area, senior Aam Aadmi Party leader and MP Sanjay Singh has said that the BJP’s LG is the biggest enemy of the Delhi environment. He has demanded that a high-level investigation in the matter should be done, and all the facts be placed in the Supreme Court to ensure action against all those responsible, including LG.
Addressing the media persons, senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said all over the world, including In India, be it the central government, state government, social organizations, all are concerned about saving the environment. They are concerned about how our environment will remain safe, how this nature will remain safe. And for that, a campaign which is being run with great enthusiasm is the tree plantation campaign – Plant trees, get life. Trees are life for us, this campaign is being run all over the world and the whole country. But in Delhi, the LG here, who has been appointed by the Bharatiya Janata Party to destroy Delhi, is engaged in destroying those lives.
Sanjay Singh said the LG is engaged in destroying those trees which are said to give life to the people. As many as 1100 trees were cut down by the LG of Delhi, not a single word came from the Bharatiya Janata Party. Even the Supreme Court reprimanded, the BJP has maintained silence. not a single word is coming out of the mouth of the BJP. The Bharatiya Janata Party, which criticizes Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party day and night, is not uttering a word against the LG despite being repeatedly reprimanded in the Supreme Court. “This means that the Bharatiya Janata Party is fully involved in the destruction of Delhi along with the LG. These trees were not cut for no reason.
The Rajya Sabha MP reasoned why the LG got 1100 trees cut. “The UTTIPEC (Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre) which decides where and how roads will be laid in Delhi comes under the DDA, is headed by the LG. The roadmap by UTTIPEC was that roads will be built on the land of farmhouses; their land will be acquired to carve out/widen roads. I want to ask what deal was made with the BJP people, I want to ask what deal was made with the LG with the farmhouse owners, why the trees were felled, and the road was laid instead of building the road on the land of the farmhouses,” he said.
Sanjay Singh said this is not only an attempt to kill the environment, but it is also a matter of a very big investigation that why did the LG cut 1100 trees to save the farmhouses on the land where the road was originally to be laid on the land of the farmhouses. “What was the deal, the whole of Delhi wants to know. And this is based on the affidavit submitted by the contractor (who cut the trees) in the Supreme Court. The LG of Delhi is directly responsible, and the DDA officials were aware of this. The company that cut the trees is disclosing this through an affidavit in front of the Supreme Court. “This company is saying through an affidavit that on 3 February 2024, the LG of Delhi went to the spot and ordered to cut the trees. After this, when the Forest Department officials did not give permission, then this contractor was given permission verbally and then he cut 1100 trees,” said the Rajya Sabha MP.
Sanjay Singh said he (the contactor) is stating by giving affidavit that these 1100 trees were cut on the orders of the LG of Delhi. The LG of Delhi and the Bharatiya Janata Party are responsible for this. Trees were cut to save the land of farmhouses. “A high-level investigation in the matter should be done and all facts should be placed before the Supreme Court and action should be taken against all responsible persons, including LG and all the officers who are responsible for this. It is necessary to investigate this because this case happened to save the land of farmhouses,” he said.
The senior AAP leader said the LG of Delhi is standing with the billionaires, owning the farmhouses. He is not concerned about the environment, he is not concerned about the trees, he is not concerned about the people of Delhi. The BJP is not concerned about the environment, the people of Delhi, the trees. He is concerned about the millionaire-billionaire owners of farmhouses, added the Rajya Sabha MP.
Reading out the excerpts of the email between the DDA officials and the contractor, Sanjay Singh said in this email dated 14th February, it is written that “the LG of Delhi visited the CAPFIMS (Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences) road on 3rd February, 20224 and directed to clear the trees coming in the ROW (right of way). During the process of felling the trees, the forest officials did not let us cut the trees even on 13th February 2024. The forest Ranger came at the site and did not permit on account of non-approval from the competent authority but after perusal they permitted us verbally to cut the trees from today, that is, from 14th February, they started felling the trees”.
Sanjay Singh said so, it is clearly written that the LG visited, the LG gave direction, these trees were cut on the instructions of the LG and DDA officials are aware of this. “The LG knows that whatever obstruction came was removed by the LG. So, the only person directly guilty and responsible for this is none other than the LG of Delhi, who has been installed by the BJP. Now I want to tell the people of Delhi to identify their enemies, those who are ruining Delhi. These are the people who are destroying your environment. These are the people who are cutting down trees in connivance with billionaires, these are the people who are ruining lives,” concluded the Rajya Sabha MP.