Accusing RSS of "backstabbing" the cause of conservation of Western Ghats, Congress leader P T Thomas today asked the BJP government to implement the Gadgil committee report to protect the scenic hills.
He alleged that the leadership of RSS and BJP in Kerala who "instigated people to agitate" against the then UPA government's decision to "dilute" the Madhav Gadgil panel report are "keeping mum" even after the NDA government decided to "watering down it further".
"The RSS leadership should apologise to the nation for backstabbing the cause of conservation of Western Ghats," Thomas told PTI.
"According to reports, the ecologically sensitive area in ghats which will be protected is much lesser than the area identified during the UPA rule. They have further watered down the much diluted version prepared by Kasturirangan panel. It will kill the hills. Its biodiversity, forests and environment are under constant threat from illegal miners and real estate mafia", he said.
"I am sad because such developments are taking place under BJP-rule remote-controlled by RSS. They are keeping mum and doing nothing to protect the Western Ghats," lamented Thomas, who had endorsed the Gadgil report when he was representing Idukki seat in Lok Sabha during UPA-II rule.
After chairing a meeting earlier this week with environment ministers and officials of six states to review the progress of physical demarcation of Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) in Western Ghats region, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has said "misgivings" about implementation of Kasturirangan committee report on Western Ghats have to be "done away" with and a call on it will be taken by August end.
Thomas, who was denied a ticket by Congress to contest the 2014 Lok Sabha elections for strongly arguing for implementation of Gadgil panel report, urged Javadekar not to go ahead with watered down version of Kasturirangan.
"As the Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, protection of ecology is his prime duty. He should not succumb to pressures of miners and industrialists.
Implementation of Gadgil panel report is the only solution for the ecological problems of Western Ghats," Thomas said.
