New Delhi, March 10 Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav engaged in a heated exchange with Congress members in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, accusing the previous Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan of encouraging illegal mining in the Aravalli hills, which formed the basis of the Supreme Court's directions.
The minister made the remarks while responding to a discussion on the functioning of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change in the House, during which he stated that the Modi government was fully committed to protecting and conserving the Aravalli ranges.
"The Supreme Court took cognizance due to the rampant illegal mining in Aravalli during Ashok Gehlot's tenure. In 2012, when Gehlot's government in Rajasthan was engaging in illegal mining, I had raised this issue at the time," the minister said.
The opposition staged a walkout after Congress leader Jairam Ramesh accused the minister of using inappropriate language and demanded an apology from him. Several members of the Congress and other opposition parties stood in support of Ramesh.
The minister asserted that the government had not in any way encouraged illegal mining in the Aravalli hills, and that it had been banned in several places, including Delhi, Faridabad, and Gurugram.
He assured that the government was positive about the establishment of a High-Powered Committee as directed by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court in February asked the environment ministry and other stakeholders to suggest names of domain experts for the panel, which would define the Aravalli hills and ranges, and observed that only lawful mining would be allowed in the region.