Shiv Sena attacks BJP : Development cannot be made by murdering nature

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has drawn lot criticism from opposition led by BJP over its decision to shift the Metro car shed project from Aarey to Kanjurmarg. Former CM Devendra Fadnavis says the decision is made to satisfy the ego, on which Shiv Sena asked, how it can be about satisfying ego, when people have leaned their head over the felled trees and shed tears?

Shiv Sena slammed opposition, said, “No one raises question when a murderer or a rapist is supported for political gains but those who say ‘save the trees, save the forests’ are accused and persecuted”.  Further it added, “Two thousand trees were massacred in one night in the forest of Aarey. If trees are assumed to be a living being that means, in the middle of night the massive murders were carried in the Aarey. Only delivering speeches on the ‘save planet’ won’t do anything good to environment”.

Last year, on October 25, Massive protests erupted overnight over the late-night felling of trees by Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited. Thereafter the Save Aarey campaign kicked in. Shiv Sena, an ally in the Devendra Fadnavis-led regime backed people protesting for Aarey. Now, Shiv Sena in power with CM’s son Aaditya Thackeray the state’s Environment Minister, the previous orders were overruled in favour of Aarey. The work at Aarey was immediately put on halt after a day Shiv Sena Chief was sworn in as CM of Maharashtra ordered a review of the feasibility of relocating it elsewhere.

The state government citing progress made by degrading the environment is not acceptable has shifted the project. The forest of Aarey will not be scrapped, now the Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro car will stand at Kanjurmarg. “The Aarey forest, which supplies oxygen to a city like Mumbai, is the lungs of a quarter of a billion people. If this lung had been attacked, Mumbai would have suffocated, development cannot be made by killing nature,” said Shiv Sena.