Jarange Patil to visit Sai Dongar in Karjat as anger over tree felling grows

The tree felling in the Karjat-Bhimashankar area has become a heated issue. Maratha agitation leader Manoj Jarange Patil is angry over it and will visit the spot to speak to local people. Targeting the government, he said it was causing more trouble than the British ever did.

People across the state are angry over various issues. Farmers are distressed because of drought, while the Karjat-Bhimashankar tree felling is gathering momentum as an issue. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray has already visited the Sai Dongar area in Karjat and spoken to locals. Jarange Patil will now go there too and hold discussions with them.

Jarange Patil said he would visit Beed tomorrow. There he will meet the family of a person who lost their life in the Antarwali agitation and console them, and will also attend a saptah programme in Kaij taluka. He will then travel via Ahilyanagar to the Sai Dongar area on the Karjat-Bhimashankar side. According to him, he will leave Beed after 2 pm tomorrow and reach Karjat-Bhimashankar on Wednesday, October 28.

Jarange Patil said the government should respect people's sentiments on forests and tree felling, and asked why this did not occur to it. He said that on one hand there is talk of planting 33 crore trees, while on the other the government itself cuts trees. He said the government was functioning in a high-handed manner, and launched a strong attack on the Mahayuti government over it.

Farmer leader Ravikant Tupkar has also issued a warning. He said there is already the crisis of El Nino, rain is not falling, and thousands of trees are being cut in the name of development. According to him, the government may take its projects wherever it wants, but it must stop this tree felling. Tupkar said the government's days are numbered, that people are deceived every time by projects billed as eco-friendly while thousands of trees are felled. He said that if the government did not stop this immediately, it would face public anger on a large scale. He made the remark about the tree felling at Bhimashankar.

Aaditya Thackeray has also warned the government. He said: "We will not let Maharashtra's land be sold. Even if we have to die, so be it, but this fight must not stop." Praising the local people, he said: "Congratulations on getting the tree felling stopped. Now launch a Chipko movement here too. Cut down and throw out those who come with axes. Do not let anyone touch your forest." In this way he advised people to intensify the agitation.