AAP questions BJP's 'silence' on tree felling in Ridge area

The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday questioned the BJP's silence over the "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, AAP senior leader Jasmine Shah said that since the issue has surfaced, the BJP and Lt Governor VK Saxena have maintained "silence" over it.

"BJP is the first to do politics over the issue of pollution and shed crocodile tears over it. They have stalled many works of the Delhi government over the pollution issue. Why are they silent?" he said.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is alleged to have cut 1,100 trees without due permission. The Supreme Court, hearing a case related to the matter, has directed the Delhi government and the civic agencies to discuss comprehensive measures to enhance the city's green cover.

Shah also asked if officers of the DDA and the forest department were under pressure from their higher-ups over the matter. He claimed that the officials were asked to appear before a three-member fact-finding committee constituted by Environment Minister Gopal Rai but they chose not to appear.

In an act of defiance, the principal secretary of Environment and Forest Department on Monday had questioned the formation of the fact-finding committee of the Delhi government, claiming it violated rules and could lead to contempt of the Supreme Court.

The committee, comprising ministers Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj and Imran Hussain, was formed as per a decision taken in a meeting of the Delhi government ministers on June 29 to look into cutting of 1,100 trees in the Southern Ridge area by the DDA allegedly without required permission.