Former Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan, who resigned from the Congress on Friday, said she challenged anyone to provide proof of wrongdoing during her tenure.
‘Let them probe’ Speaking to reporters here, Ms. Natarajan was reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s charge during the Lok Sabha election campaign that industries had to “suffer” a ‘Jayanthi tax’ to get project clearances.
“But if my own party treats me so badly, why should I blame him? He was in opposition. If Modi is talking of Jayanthi tax, let them investigate,” she said.
On returning to Congress Asked whether she would reconsider her decision to quit the party if Ms. Gandhi intervened, she said the time for such a development was past.
“I did receive calls over the last week from people close to her [Sonia Gandhi] asking me to come and meet her. But I felt it was too late,” she said, adding that her decision to go public resulted from the apathy of the high command to her attempts to reach them.
In fact, she received the first call in over 11 months from the party only when former Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan floated the TMC.
Complete coverage: Jayanthi Natarajan quits Congress Former Union Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan quits from the primary membership of the Congress
> Read hereThe Hindu Exclusive: Jayanthi Natarajan's letter to Sonia Gandhi.
> Read here Jayanthi's letter rocks capital; Congress evasive, BJP on the offensive.
> Read here Jayanthi's resignation from the Congress is unlikely to have any unusual impact on the party’s plummeting fortunes in Tamil Nadu.
> Read here BJP denies that Jayanthi Natarajan had met any of their leaders last year.
> Read here Congress high command has to respond to Jayanthi's charges: CPI
> Read here Prakash Javdekar said it was his duty to review those specific files where extraneous influence had been alleged as per the letter.
> Read here Several Congress leaders issued hard-hitting statements against their former colleague
> Read here Jayanthi Natarajan's Trajectory
Fact File
- › First elected to Rajya Sabha in 1986 and again in 1992
- › 1996: Joins party leaders to form Tamil Maanila Congress
- › 1997: Resigns from Rajya Sabha and re-elected as TMC member. She is appointed Minister of State for Coal, Civil Aviation and Parliamentary Affairs in United Front government at the Centre
- › July 12, 2011: Jayanthi replaces Jairam Ramesh as Environment Minister in the UPA-led Union government
- › November 16, 2013: She is asked by Ajay Maken to address media to attack then BJP PM candidate Modi on ‘Snoopgate’ issue
- › December 19, 2013: She notifies order on the protection of Western Ghats based on Kasturirangan report amid protests
- › December 20, 2013: She is forced to resign as Minister of State for Environment and Forests (Independent Charge) to ‘work for the Congress party’
- › December 21, 2013: Rahul Gandhi addresses FICCI meet: “Many of you have expressed your frustration with environmental clearances that are delaying projects unduly. Environmental and social damage must be avoided, but decisions must also be transparent, timely and fair.”
- › January, 2014: Environment Minister Veerappa Moily clears pending mega projects
- › November 5, 2014: Jayanthi writes to Sonia Gandhi to express her anguish at the treatment meted out to her
Key projects stalled/rejected
Adani group project: Asked by Rahul Gandhi to ‘liase’ with Gujarat Congress’ Deepak Babaria on complaints by NGO, fisherfolk
Vedanta Rs.4,500-crore Bauxite mining in Niyamgiri hills August, 2010: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi assures Niyamgiri tribals he is their ‘sipahi [soldier] in Delhi’
April, 2013: Supreme Court rules Vedanta must get nod from 12 gram sabhas of Niyamgiri hills
“If the bauxite mining project in any way affects [villagers’] religious rights, especially their right to worship their deity, that right has to be preserved and protected” : SC Bench
January, 2014: MoEF rejects environmental clearance to project
Lavasa township project in Maharashtra November, 2010: MoEF slaps financial penalty on Lavasa for violation of Environment Protection Act, orders fresh EIA
June, 2011: MoEF offers nod to project subject to five preconditions, Lavasa agrees to four (environmental restoration fund, CSR allocation, revised development plan)
November, 2011: MoEF grants clearance after year-long holdover
Nirma Cement plant in Gujarat May, 2011: MoEF seeks relocation of plant from ‘wetland’ site
June, 2013: MoEF postpones expert panel’s pre-monsoon visit to site to ascertain whether it is waterbody or wasteland.
Supreme Court Bench call the postponement “abuse of process of law”