Chandigarh: Former Haryana Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday said the Congress welcomed the Supreme Court taking suo motu cognisance of the Aravalli issue, accusing the state government of repeatedly avoiding discussion on the matter.
Hooda said the issue was raised in the Assembly and the Congress had also sought a short-duration discussion, but the government “rejected” the proposal. Citing a Forest Survey of India report, he said destruction of the Aravalli range would have the most serious impact on Haryana by increasing pollution and damaging hills that act as the state’s “lungs”.
Raising questions, Hooda asked why the government failed to protect the Aravallis in the Supreme Court and why no action had been taken against illegal mining operators. He cited incidents linked to illegal mining, including the murder of a DSP in Nuh on July 19, 2022, and the death of five labourers in a landslide in Bhiwani’s Dadum area on January 1, 2022.