Centre flouted environment clearance criteria: AAP
New Delhi, June 27: The AAP on Wednesday accused the Central government of flouting all the basic environmental clearance criteria for its redevelopment plans for south Delhi, and demanded scrapping or at least reconsideration of the project.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj told the media that a public hearing on the project was also not done which is otherwise mandatory by law for such a big project.
Bharadwaj showed documents related to the project in which the date of the public hearing for the Redevelopment of General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) Colony at Sarojini Nagar was "January 1, 1900, whereas the date of submission for the environment clearance was November 28, 2017".
Bharadwaj took a dig at the Central government for mentioning the date of the public hearing as January 1, 1900, saying it "must have been held in past life".
"The projects are only called residential accommodation but a major part of it will be for commercial use, which includes a trade centre and a parking space for 86,000 cars."
He said that the clearance for the projects was given by the Union Environment Ministry on June 12, despite the fact that the Central Ground Water Authority has written that the "ground water level of the area is over exploited".
"Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan is lying. It was his ministry that gave the clearance without looking into the traffic plan for the area and checking the impact of tree cutting on the air quality of the area which is already severe.
"There is no mention anywhere in the Environment Impact Assessment of the impact on the environment," said Bharadwaj.
In Sarojini Nagar, 11,000 trees were to be cut for the redevelopment project, whereas a total of 16,500 tree were to be cut for similar projects in south Delhi.
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Young woman from MP who shot to fame during Kumbh found to be minor, case registered against husband
Khargone (MP) (PTI): The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes on Friday confirmed that a young woman from Madhya Pradesh who became famous due to her viral videos during the 2025 Maha Kumbh has been found to be a minor after an inquiry.
Citing the findings of an inquiry panel set up by the commission, local BJP leaders alleged that her interfaith marriage in Kerala last month was a case of "love Jihad", and sought legal action.
While the panel had submitted its report in March, ST commission chairman Antar Singh Arya confirmed its findings to the PTI on Friday.
A case for alleged kidnapping and offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has already been registered against her husband, a Muslim man, at Maheshwar on the basis of the inquiry findings, police said.
The girl gained national fame after her videos while selling garlands and rudraksha at the Maha Kumbh went viral on social media and also earned her a role in a film.
The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes set up an inquiry panel after receiving a complaint on March 17 from Pratham Dubey, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, that she was a minor and was being exploited.
Maheshwar BJP MLA Rajkumar Mev and BJP mandal president Vikram Patel, armed with documents, told reporters on Friday that her marriage in Kerala was a case of "love Jihad" and she should be brought back home.
'Love jihad' is a term used by right-wing groups to allege a conspiracy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into marriage to convert them to Islam.
Police said an investigation is underway, and further action would be taken accordingly.
The girl, who belongs to the nomadic Pardhi community, got married at a temple in Kerala in March. The interfaith marriage drew angry reactions from rightwing Hindu groups.
Her family members and film director Sanoj Mishra -- who had offered her a film role after she became famous -- too alleged that it was 'love Jihad'.
As per the inquiry conducted by the ST commission, records at the Maheshwar government hospital showed the woman's date of birth as December 30, 2009 which meant she was 16 years and two months old at the time of marriage, said Dubey, the complainant.
On a complaint filed by her father, police registered a case against the girl's husband at Maheshwar police station on March 25 for alleged kidnapping and under the POCSO Act and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Police sources said that a separate case was also registered on March 24 under section 137(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (taking a minor from lawful custody of guardian without their consent) based on the the commission's findings.
