The felled trees at SP College Ground. Ashish KaleThe decision to cut 16 trees near the S P College ground, days before a campaign rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the spot, has stoked controversy, with opposition parties criticising the BJP and filing a complaint about it.
College authorities, however, said the trees were cut as they were growing dangerously and posed a risk for students and others on campus.
“It is shocking that the BJP is unnecessarily cutting trees for political functions. It has become insensitive towards this issue,” said NCP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Vandana Chavan.
The BJP was mired in a similar controversy a few days ago, after a number of trees were trimmed and their main branches cut off on Sinhagad Road for the Mahajanadesh Yatra of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Chavan claimed that local residents had been calling her since Monday morning about the tree cutting, adding, “The BJP merely makes big announcements of planting trees but it is cutting them for political functions.”
The NCP leader said the party will launch an agitation against the cutting of trees. “The chief minister had assured us of serious action against those who were responsible for the tree cutting on Sinhagad Road for the Mahajanadesh Yatra. But nothing has been done so far,” she said.
The opposition Congress, meanwhile, registered a complaint with the Pune Municipal Corporation. “We have already registered our complaint with the PMC commissioner and the city police commissioner,” said Congress leader Mohan Joshi.
In the last couple of weeks, the BJP-led state government has also faced intense criticism from all political parties, including ally Shiv Sena, over the cutting of thousands of trees in Aarey forest in Mumbai to make way for a Metro car shed.