AAP demands LG’s resignation for felling trees illegally in S Delhi Ridge | Latest News Delhi

New Delhi

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday, citing the illegal felling of 1,100 trees in Satbari, south Delhi, on the alleged instructions of lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena, demanded his resignation.

AAP MLA Rajesh Gupta said: “The LG should resign from his post because without him resigning, necessary action cannot be taken against him.”

Environment minister Gopal Rai said the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) felled the trees without obtaining permission.

“On the orders of LG sahab, DDA cut down 1,100 trees in the Ridge area of Delhi and later went to the Supreme Court to get permission to cut these trees but they did not get the permission. I challenge LG sahab, BJP and their DDA to show the permission to cut these trees,” Rai said.

HT reached out to the LG, but there was no response. The DDA also did not respond to requests for comment.

Leader of Opposition in Delhi assembly Vijender Gupta said the Delhi government was “misleading the public regarding the issue of cutting down 422 trees to widen a road for the Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences.”

Rai said the AAP government planted millions of trees. “This increased the green cover from 20% to 23%, and because of these works, pollution in Delhi has reduced by 34.6%. In 2020 assembly election, Arvind Kejriwal promised to plant 2 crore (20 million) trees in next five years; in only four years, we have planted 2 crore trees,” he said.