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Natarajan's claim on Vedanta sparks debate in Odisha
Bhubaneswar, Jan 30
Former union minister
Jayanthi Natarajan's claim that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi put
pressure on her to reject the green clearance to Vedanta's mining
project in Odisha Friday sparked a political debate here.
While
the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) lashed out at
the Gandhi family for influencing the government's decision, the
Congress tried to defend itself stating the intervention was meant to
protect interest of 'Dangaria Kondh' tribes in Niyamgiri hills of
Kalahandi district.
"The statement of Natarajan exposed the
conspiracy of UPA to destroy the economy of Odisha. Vedanta came here to
set up an industry and create jobs in Odisha. But, the cancellation of
the forest clearance was a big jolt to the company and it almost came to
closure," said BJD spokesperson Rabinarayan Nanda.
Senior BJP
leader Suresh Pujari said it was wellknown that the first family of the
Congress party was intervening in the government.
"We all know
that Rahul and Sonia Gandhi were using extra-constitutional authorities
in the government and used to influence the government decisions. The
statement of Natarajan only vindicated it," said Pujari.
However,
the Congress leaders became defensive and admitted that there could
have been pressure from Rahul to deny permission to Vedanta to mine
bauxite in the Niyamgiri hills.
"Rahulji had already taken a
stand to protect interests of tribals under any circumstance. So, I
think Rahulji might have spoken to her about the Niyamgiri issue. I see
nothing wrong in it," said former Congress MP Pradeep Majhi.
Majhi said the Congress vice-president had visited the hills here and assured the tribals he would defend their rights in Delhi.
"The
Supreme Court also asked the tribal affairs ministry to hold gram
sabhas (village meetings) in Niyamgiri area to take views of the local
residents. The tribals also rejected the mining proposal of Vedanta to
mine on the hills," added Majhi.
In her resignation from the
party, the former union minister of forest and environment wrote to the
Congress high command that she received specific requests from the
Congress vice-president on environmental clearances and she consequently
rejected big-ticket projects despite pressure from her Cabinet
colleagues seeking approval.
The ministry had declined to give Vedanta the stage-2 forest clearance to extract bauxite from Niyamgiri hills Aug 24, 2010.
Rahul Gandhi, who claimed to be a 'sipahi' (soldier) of the tribals, visited the site at Niyamgiri Aug 26, 2010.