Aravalli: Ashok Gehlot Accuses Centre of ‘Fast-Track Scam’
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot addresses an election rally
Former Rajasthan CM says Union Minister Bhupender Yadav misled the public, dismantled powerful oversight bodies, and rushed mining approvals that even alarmed the Supreme Court.
By AMIT KUMAR
New Delhi, December 22, 2025 — Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot launched a scathing attack on the Union environment ministry, accusing it of misleading the public and dismantling institutional safeguards to push mining projects in the ecologically fragile Aravalli range.
Calling Union Minister Bhupender Yadav’s claim that “only 9% of the area will be affected” a blatant attempt to confuse the people, Gehlot asked pointedly: “Who will believe this—will you believe it yourself?” For Gehlot, the controversy is not just about mining, but about how environmental governance has been hollowed out.
His most serious charge relates to the abolition of the powerful Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which once reported directly to the Supreme Court and enjoyed nationwide credibility. Gehlot recalled how the committee’s independent authority led to high-profile actions, including the arrest of a sitting Karnataka minister in an illegal mining case.
“That committee listened to no one but the Court,” he said. Its replacement, he alleged, is a toothless, ministry-controlled body—nominated by the government, reporting to the minister, and stripped of real power.
Gehlot also questioned the lightning speed with which wildlife and forest clearances were granted. In June 2025, he alleged, Rajasthan Wildlife Board reports, National Tiger Conservation Authority approvals, and National Board for Wildlife clearances were pushed through in just three days—an unprecedented pace in a sector where scrutiny often takes months or years.
The Supreme Court’s sharp rebuke and stay, Gehlot argued, only strengthens long-standing suspicions. If everything was above board, why the rush? Why attempt to alter critical tiger habitat boundaries overnight?
As a three-time Chief Minister, Gehlot insisted that environmental law is intentionally rigorous—and for good reason. “People understand this,” he warned. “Stop spreading confusion. The public will not forgive.”
The Aravalli debate, he suggested, is no longer technical. It is about trust.
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