As protests against the ongoing deforestation in Chhattisgarh’s Hasdeo region continued on Monday, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai blamed the Congress for the exercise, while former Deputy CM T.S. Singh Deo insisted that public opinion should be sought for any mining-related activity.
“They should see that the permission for deforestation is from a time when it was their [Congress] government in power…. Whatever has happened, even if it is deforestation, is happening with their permission,” Mr. Sai said, responding to a query from the media on the issue.
Taking exception to the CM’s statement, Alok Shukla from Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan said that while the permission for deforestation in the ecologically sensitive forests was issued during the previous Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government [of which Mr. Singh Deo was a part], the clearance came from the Centre as well. “Also, the Chhattisgarh Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution against mining in Hasdeo forests which means the BJP, then in the Opposition, supported the stance,” he added.
