Delhi L-G, Chief Secy befooling public and SC over tree cutting, claims AAP's Sourabh Bhardwaj

Sharpening attack on Delhi L-G V.K. Saxena and Chief Secretary, Delhi Urban Development Minister Sourabh Bhardwaj accused the duo of misleading the public and Supreme Court over cutting of trees in the capital and also blasted the bureaucracy for 'not showing spine' in calling spade a spade.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, the senior AAP leader spoke at length about the 'illegal' conduct of the Delhi L-G and said that trees were being felled for widening of roads at his instructions.

He also accused him of shifting the blame on others.

Sourabh Bhardwaj took objection to Delhi Chief Secretary's affidavit on cutting of trees in the national capital and said that the 'short reference' on the matter was enough to show its complicity in the illegal act.

Bhardwaj mocked the affidavit, which read: "None of the officials present at the site brought to the notice of L-G, the orders passed by the Court and the requirement for the permission of Forest officer, and said that this smacked of a big cover-up as the officials engaged in tree-cutting were being made 'scapegoat' to save the L-G from court wrath."

Notably, the Supreme Court, last month, took a stern view of cutting down of trees in the capital's Ridge area and also pulled up the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) over its ignorance. It had also asked the DDA to come clean on the issue and also whether the exercise was being carried out with the approval of L-G.

Sourabh Bhardwaj further demanded that Delhi L-G holds a press conference and explain before the public why the trees are being felled without permission from required authorities.

The AAP has already turned the heat, claiming on many occasions that it was after his visit to the area that the exercise was being carried out at a fast pace to help widen the roads.

Bhardwaj, one of senior most ministers in the AAP government, also lambasted the bureaucrats for not rising to the occasion and save the capital's green lungs from getting wiped out.

He claimed that all officers know that there is no permission for cutting trees but none of the officers have the 'courage or guts' to inform the L-G that such drive without permission is not permitted.

"This situation highlights the weakness of Delhi's bureaucracy. Despite the presence of numerous senior IAS officers, no one had the courage to challenge the L-G's illegal directive," he alleged.