Following criticism on the proposed hacking of nearly 1,000 trees for Bal Thackeray’s memorial in Aurangabad, Mayor Nandkumar Ghodele, who is from the Shiv Sena, clarified on Sunday that not a single tree will be cut.
The Shiv Sena was trolled on social media for taking a stand to save Aarey colony in Mumbai while proposing to cut trees for the memorial in Aurangabad.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has stalled work on the Metro car shed in Aarey and sources said the government is looking at alternatives. He has also directed cases to be withdrawn against 29 people booked for protesting the night the trees were cut.
However, soon after, reports surfaced in the media that the Sena-led Aurangabad Municipal Corporation is planning to build a memorial to Sena chief Bal Thackeray in Priyadarshini Park, for which nearly 1,000 trees will allegedly be cut. The memorial is planned on six acres in the park at a cost of around ₹61 crore.
As news of the proposal came in, people took to social media to hit out at the Shiv Sena for its ‘dual policy’ in the two cities. Amruta Fadnavis, wife of former CM Devendra Fadnavis, said in a tweet, “Hypocrisy is a disease, get well soon, Shiv Sena. Tree cutting — at your convenience or allowing tree cutting only when you earn commission — unpardonable sins.”
Mr. Ghodele soon put out a video message stating, “For the past few days, it is being said that trees will be cut for the memorial. I would like to make it clear that we will make the memorial without cutting a single tree. When Uddhav ji had visited the site, he had ordered us to ensure no trees are cut. We are all against cutting trees.”
Commenting on the statement, advocate Sunny Khivansara, who is representing two Aurangabad residents in the public interest litigation (PIL) in the High Court against the project, said, “This statement is unbelievable. The detailed project report clearly states around 1,000 trees will have to be cut. Neither the landowner CIDCO’s permission is taken nor that of the tree authority.”
The PIL has also pointed out the poor state of trees in the park. Mr. Khivansara said around 800 trees in the park have dried up. The matter is listed for hearing on December 16.
