PANAJI
The Congress on Sunday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane for their stance against the High Court judgement directing notification of a tiger reserve saying they are misleading the public by pretending to take up cudgels on behalf of dwellers in those areas.
Congress State president Amit Patkar said, the judgement on ‘Tiger Reserve’ in fact protects the rights of scheduled tribes or other forest dwellers and accused the government of contemplating challenging it in the Supreme Court only to weaken the State's case in the Mhadei dispute with Karnataka.
Patkar who addressed a press conference on Sunday morning also hit out at Rane and accused him of attempting to misguide people and also the courts. “Court's order is very clear and it is in the interest of the State and its people. It has protected the rights of forest dwellers and has asked the State government to act on it,” Patkar who was flanked by GPCC General Secretary Shrinivas Khalap and Media Chairman Amarnath Panjikar, said.
“Vishwajit Rane and other BJP leaders are trying to spread wrong information in public that around 15,000 people will be displaced if ‘Tiger Reserve’ is notified," Patkar said, pointing out that the forest department's plan itself says that most habitation areas are excluded from the core area of the proposed reserve.
Quoting the judgement which says the misimpression that there would be large-scale displacements of populations and the rights of the forest dwellers would be drastically affected "needs to be corrected” Patkar also pointed out that the Court has asked Forest Department officials to initiate a campaign to assure them that their interests will not be adversely affected and their concerns will be suitably addressed.
“We do care for our people staying in forest areas and also about tigers and Mhadei. But it seems, the BJP government is trying to weaken our case to benefit Karnataka,” Patkar alleged.
On Rane's threat of using 'breach of privilege' against those who speak against him, Patkar said, the minister and the government is attempting to stifle public voices.
Khalap said, Rane leveled criminal allegations against the petitioner Goa Foundation and speaker Ramesh Tawadkar didn’t object to it. “Rules of business are infringed by the Minister and Speaker," Khalap said, accusing the ruling party of misusing power.
