The axing of several trees in Aarey forests of Maharashtra sparked a clear and present rift between the election allies. To keep the climate activists protests in bay authorities started chopping down Aarey forests in the cover of night -for the purported metro car park within the forest. The state government led by CM Devendra Fadnavis of BJP acted hastily soon after a court rejected petitions to delay the cutting down of forest.
Aaditya Thackeray delivering a sharp jibe to PM Modi said, “Detaining citizens and arresting youth for standing with the environment. So much for speaking about the environment at the global level while we destroy ecosystems here in the middle of the night,” he tweeted, hinting towards the PM’s speech at the United Nations. Hundreds of students and climate change activists where arrested with non-bailable offenses and Aaditya said he stood by the protestors as otherwise -“we would be termed hypocrites at a global level”.
However, BJP Shivsena’s big brother in coalition maintained that such moves are essential for development. Shivsena’s Udhav Thackeray had announced that the ‘murderers of Aarey’ won’t be left for free and stern action will be taken once the coalition government is in power. Congress leader and former MP Sanjay Nirupam, who has been vocal against the cutting down of trees, said that the Shiv Sena was adopting “double standard”, as it condemned tree felling but continues to support the BJP-led government. “Such double standard would not do,” he said.
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