Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Sunday sent out a message to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who missed a Government event amid the AAP Government’s allegations against the Delhi Police at the launch of the massive plantation drive of one lakh sapings at Asola Bhatti Mines Wildlife Sanctuary.
At the event, the LG said he expected the CM to be present at the event. “I wanted CM Arvind Kejriwal to attend this event but due to some reasons, he could not. This is a programme where all of us should work together.
“I expect him to be present in future events to give a message that we want to work together for Delhi’s development,” he said.
Earlier, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai alleged that the Centre hijacked an event of the Kejriwal Government at the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary with the Delhi Police putting up banners carrying pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the venue last night.
He said Kejriwal was supposed to attend the event but decided not to participate following the incident.
According to the statement released by the LG office, amidst over 400 school children, jawans from the paramilitary forces, Delhi Police, and a large number of people from the civil society as well as volunteers of the civil defence, Saxena launched the plantation of a wide variety of native species as well as fruit-bearing trees like Jamun, Moringa, Arjun, Sheesham, Sagwan-Teak, Guava, Chembu, bamboo, etc. that would protect and rejuvenate Delhi’s ecology.
“What makes this plantation drive unique is that each of the 1 lakh pits dug up for planting the trees has been geo-tagged so that the growth of these trees can be monitored on a regular basis, both through satellite imagery as well as physical verification. One can keep actual track of their numbers, growth, and maintenance,” it read.
“Saxena termed the plantation of 1 lakh saplings a historic moment for the national capital as, he said, these plants would contribute immensely to protect the ecology which is facing a severe threat from unchecked pollution,” it read. “Interacting with the school children, the LG lauded their passion for the environmental cause and their efforts to protect Delhi’s ecology.
He was pleasantly surprised at their awareness of the issues of environmental concerns. Saxena made a fervent appeal to the people of Delhi, particularly the youths and school children, to plant and nurture trees to make Delhi greener and a truly livable city. He stressed upon collective participation of the society to fight the menace of growing pollution and global warming,” the statement read. Many senior dignitaries including, member of Parliament, Ramesh Bidhuri, Chief Secretary, Naresh Kumar, Commissioner of Police, Rakesh Asthana were also present on the occasion.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP has accused Kejriwal saying he did not attend the closing ceremony of Van Mahotsav scheme, which was started at the initiative of Central Government to reduce Delhi's pollution, just because for that programme, his photo was small in the poster. “Kejriwal is most fond of shining his face.
He is just hungry for publicity and you will find many examples of this. Kejriwal, who is doing propaganda-based politics, has fallen so much in his desire for shining his face that in those small and innocent hands in which he should have given a pen, he rather gave them hoardings of his name and smiling face to throw dust at crossroads,” Delhi BJP said in a statement.