Congress leader Jairam Ramesh lambasted the Modi government for allegedly favoring corporate interests by altering forest laws, accusing them of facilitating environmental degradation for the benefit of “corporate crony friends.” Ramesh highlighted the Modi government’s amendments to forest laws in 2017, which he claimed legalized projects violating environmental clearances, benefiting major corporations in sectors like coal mining and manufacturing.
He further criticized the Forest Conservation (Amendment) Act of 2023, which, according to Ramesh, jeopardized protection for significant forest areas, violating a 1996 Supreme Court judgment. As a former Union Minister of Environment and Forests, Ramesh expressed his dissent against the amendment bill, emphasizing the importance of upholding forest conservation.
Ramesh applauded the Supreme Court’s interim order against the government’s forest policies and pledged the Congress’s commitment to safeguarding India’s forests and environment under an INDIA bloc government.