Maharashtra: 16 trees cut ahead of PM Modi’s campaign rally in SP College, Pune     

Just before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was about to conduct a campaign rally at SP College, Pune, as many as 16 trees were cut on the S P College ground. Cutting of these trees has not gone down well with people and the opposition especially because not even a week has passed since the Aarey resolution.

People are slamming the environment-ignorant approach of the BJP. Congress has even filed a complaint about it. This has fuelled a storm, with criticism for the BJP’s environment ignorant approach; and Congress filing a complaint about it, reported Indian Express.

“It is shocking that the BJP is unnecessarily cutting trees for political functions. It has become insensitive towards this issue,” said NCP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Vandana Chavan.

However, the college management, said to the Indian Express, that the trees were chopped as they were growing hazardously, could cause possible damage and stood as a risk factor for the health and wellbeing of students and others on campus.

The opposition Congress, meanwhile, filed a complaint with the Pune Municipal Corporation. “We have already registered our complaint with the PMC commissioner and the city police commissioner,” Congress leader Mohan Joshi was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

The BJP was stuck in the exact same scenario recently when many trees were cut; their main branches were cut off on Sinhagad Road for the Maha Janadesh Yatra of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. But Chavan alleged that many localities had called her about the tree cutting, adding, “The BJP can only speak in announcements of planting trees, promising afforestation on one side and cutting them on another for political functions.”

This week has also seen the BJP-led state government being bitterly criticised by people and most of the political parties, including ally Shiv Sena, for not prioritising environment as promised; and slashing 2700 trees in Aarey Forest in Mumbai to make way for a Metro car shed.