‘Harit Kalash Yatra’ cancelled on LG’s orders: Gopal Rai
‘’1,500 women had come from different parts of Delhi, and despite having permission from the Police, as soon as the women lifted the Kalash on their heads, the police cancelled the programme’
New Delhi: Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday alleged that the Delhi Police stopped the government’s ‘Harit Kalash Yatra,’ an awareness campaign of tree plantation in Connaught Place here following orders from Lt Governor VK Saxena.
The ‘Harit Kalash Yatra’ was scheduled to be held on Tuesday morning as part of Delhi government’s winter action plan to combat pollution. “Last night, LG sahab issued a directive through the police, and today our tree plantation programme in Connaught Place, aimed at curbing pollution, was stopped,” Gopal Rai told reporters. “Around 1,500 women had come from different parts of Delhi, and despite having permission from the Police, as soon as the women lifted the Kalash on their heads, the police cancelled the programme even before I could even reach,” Rai said.
Rai also criticised the move, accusing the police and LG of stifling the event while neglecting the city’s rising crime. “While crime is rampant, the police are busy removing women involved in an awareness programme instead of catching gangsters,” Rai said. Expressing his disappointment at the disruption, Rai questioned the LG’s stance on environmental efforts, stating, “The LG cuts thousands of trees without any permission, and now he chases away those running a campaign for tree plantation with police force.” “The LG doesn’t require any permission to cut 1,000 trees, but when the Delhi government organises an awareness programme with all necessary permissions, it is forcibly shut down,” Rai alleged.