Fri Nov 08 19:09:15 UTC 2024: ## Delhi Minister Accuses DDA and L-G of Lying About Tree Felling in Ridge Area
**New Delhi, November 9, 2024:** Delhi’s Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj has accused the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena of misleading the Supreme Court regarding the felling of 1,670 trees in the protected Ridge area.
Bharadwaj, a senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, claims the DDA and L-G have deliberately misrepresented the extent of deforestation to benefit a select few farmhouse owners. He challenged their claims, stating that the DDA has yet to provide records to petitioners as ordered by the Supreme Court.
The Minister questioned the L-G’s reluctance to disclose these records, accusing him of damaging Delhi’s reputation.
In response to the Supreme Court’s order, L-G Saxena filed an affidavit stating he was unaware of the requirement for apex court approval before tree felling, portraying himself as a committed environmentalist.
The controversy surrounding the tree felling in the Ridge area continues, with the Supreme Court currently hearing the case.
First Piper 