Karnataka CM, Deputy CM working like brothers, high command to decide on leadership: Pilot
Bengaluru (PTI): Playing down the power tussle in the Karnataka state unit of Congress, AICC General Secretary Sachin Pilot on Monday said, both Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar are working like brothers, and whatever decision the Congress high command takes on the matter will be acceptable to everyone.
Speaking to reporters here, with Deputy CM D K Shivakumar seated next to him, he said, "When PCC (state Congress) President (Shivakumar) has called the Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) his elder brother, and the chief minister says he (Shivakumar) is my younger brother, that settles the matter."
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"Let me tell you that the Karnataka government has functioned with full integrity and dedication. Whatever promises we made as a party before the polls, we are fulfilling all of them. We are working strongly, and I can assure you in 2028 the Congress party will come back with a thumping majority," Pilot said to a question on the Congress high command's reluctance to end the power tussle.
"Whatever decision the party takes, it is acceptable to every Congress worker in the state. We are singularly working to make sure that we deliver on our promises and win back the state in 2028," he added.
Responding to a question on the high command not solving the leadership issue in the state, while pointing out that a similar power tussle existed in Rajasthan, between him and the then CM Ashok Gehlot, Pilot said, Everyone will abide by whatever decision is taken by the leadership of the party. "We will work together."
"Tell me which leader of the party, whether it is the chief minister or the Pradesh Congress Committee President, has said that they will not abide by the party high command's decision. When everything is left to the Congress high command, the party will decide whatever it has to. Our collective objective is to strengthen the Congress across the country, including Karnataka," he added.
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Govt 'fully committed' to protecting Aravallis, Cong spreading lies: Bhupender Yadav
New Delhi (PTI): Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Monday accused the Congress of spreading "misinformation" and "lies" on the issue of the new definition of the Aravallis and stressed that mining can be carried out legally in only 0.19 per cent of the area covered by the mountain range.
At a press briefing, he said the Narendra Modi government remains "fully committed" to protecting and restoring the Aravallis.
"The Congress, which allowed rampant illegal mining in Rajasthan during its tenure, is spreading confusion, misinformation and lies about the issue," the minister alleged.
The new definition, approved by the Supreme Court on the recommendation of the Environment Ministry, "aims to curb illegal mining" and allow "sustainable mining legally", and that too only after a Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) is prepared by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), he said.
The ICFRE will identify areas where mining can be permitted only under exceptional and scientifically justified circumstances, sources said.
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The study will also determine ecologically sensitive, conservation-critical and restoration-priority areas within the Aravalli landscape where mining will be strictly prohibited.
Yadav said that legally approved mining currently covers only a very small fraction of the Aravalli region, amounting to about 0.19 per cent of the total geographical area of 37 Aravalli districts in Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat.
Delhi, which has five Aravalli districts, does not permit any mining.
According to the Supreme Court's directions, he said, no new mining leases will be granted in the Aravalli region until a Management Plan for Sustainable Mining is prepared for the entire landscape by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education.
Existing mines may continue operations only if they strictly comply with sustainable mining norms laid down by the committee.
In November 2025, the Supreme Court accepted a uniform legal definition of what constitutes the Aravalli Hills and Aravalli Range on the recommendation of a committee led by the Environment Ministry.
Under this definition, an "Aravalli Hill" is a landform with an elevation of at least 100 metres above its local surrounding terrain and an "Aravalli Range" is a cluster of two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other.
Critics, including environmentalists and some scientists, argue that many ecologically important parts of the Aravalli system do not meet the 100-metre threshold (e.g., low ridges, slopes, foothills and recharge areas), yet are important for groundwater recharge, biodiversity support, climate moderation and soil stability.
They warn that areas excluded under the new definition could be opened for mining, construction and commercial activities, weakening long-standing protections and ecological continuity across the range.
The redefinition has triggered protests, from Rajasthan to Haryana, and social media campaigns.
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The Centre has rejected the charge that the new definition weakens environmental safeguards. It has said that most of the Aravalli region (over 90 per cent) remains protected and the new definition does not relax mining controls.
Yadav on Sunday said the Aravali range includes all landforms which exist within 500 metres of two adjoining hills of a height of 100 metres or more.
All landforms existing within this 500-metre zone, irrespective of their height and slopes, are excluded for the purposes of grant of mining leases, he said.
