Indian Youth Congress announces 1,000 km Aravali Satyagrah Yatra from Jan 7, protesting mining in the Aravali range and environmental violations.
Talking about Aravali mountain range, Chib said that they are not just mountains, they provide security to North India. (File Photo)
New Delhi: Even as a political row has erupted over Aravali, the Indian Youth Congress on Friday announced that it will hold 1,000 Aravali Satyagrah Yatra from January 7.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, IYC chief Uday Bhanu Chib claimed that the BJP government first polluted country's culture, and now it is preparing to pollute our environment as well.
Talking about Aravali mountain range, Chib said that they are not just mountains, they provide security to North India.
"The Aravali hills work to control water levels, pollution, and temperature, while also preventing the 'desert' from advancing. At the same time, they have been preserving our culture for many years," he said.
The IYC leader said that the Supreme Court said in 1995 that mining in the Aravali range is illegal, but now the apex court has said that mountains less than 100 meters will not be considered part of Aravali.
"While the truth is that 90 per cent of the mountains are less than 100 meters. Therefore, we oppose this," he said.
He claimed that the reality is that the government itself had sent a proposal to the Supreme Court to remove mountains less than 100 meters in height from the Aravali Range.
He said that previously, there used to be a Supreme Court committee that monitored mining, but the Modi government dissolved it and the proposal was sent by the Environment Ministry.
He also stated that according to reports, 50 new mining permissions have already been granted.
"In 2010, the Supreme Court had stopped the extensions of those minings that had reached near the Aravali, but the BJP's Rajasthan government has said that if you want extensions, pay the fees, and they have reopened the mining that was closed in 2010," he alleged.
He also claimed that the Supreme Court order that has come which states that new mining can only begin when the government brings a proposal.
"The order also mentions another point that if rare earth metals are found in the Aravali Range, their mining can take place," he said.
He stated that as citizens of the country, they will ask questions and continue to raise their voice for justice until their demands are accepted.
Chib stated that IYC is going to organize the 'Aravali Satyagraha' Yatra, which will run from January 7 to January 20.
"This yatra will start from Gujarat and pass through Rajasthan and Haryana to reach Delhi," he added.
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