assembly-elections

Updated: Oct 16, 2019 19:26 IST

Union minister Prakash Javadekar defended the BJP’s use of nationalism in the campaign for Haryana and Maharashtra assembly polls and said it was done all over the world. He also called the opposition “ideologically bankrupt” for continuing to raise questions on issues linked to nationalism.

“They questioned the surgical strikes, the Balakot airstrike, the abolishing of triple talaq and the abrogation of article 370. This shows they are ideologically bankrupt. They question why we are fighting elections over nationalism. Why not? It is done world over,” Javadekar said.

Congress has accused the BJP of using nationalism to distract people from the issues of unemployment, economic slowdown and farm crises, which it says are more relevant to the October assembly elections.

Javadekar also said that from 2020, details of all trees planted in place of those cut for infrastructure projects will be made available on public domain via satellite imagery. Javadekar was speaking in the context of the Aarey project which has led to activists alleging that most trees planted to make up for over two and a half thousand trees, cut for the project, have died.

“We believe in planting five trees for every tree cut. We have all the data. From next year, the details of all these trees will be put on public domain via satellite imagery,” Javadekar said.

He also said that the environment and the development had to go hand-in-hand and the Delhi metro was a good example. “For every station of Delhi metro, 10-15 trees were cut. Today, it is one of the largest public transportation systems and is environmentally sustainable,” he said.

Javadekar said that the BJP is asking for a “receipt of its work” in Maharashtra in the upcoming assembly elections. “We are sure of winning with a great majority. We have undertaken huge development works in Maharashtra. We are asking for a receipt of the work,” he said.

The Maharashtra elections are scheduled for October 21 and the results will be declared on October 24.