Several Aarey protesters were arrested and detained by the police on Saturday. (Express photo/Sanjana Bhalerao)
Mumbai Aarey Protests Highlights: 29 people who were arrested for protesting against the tree felling were sent to judicial custody and several others were detained on Saturday in connection with the protest against the cutting of trees in Mumbai’s Aarey Colony. Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court dismissed an urgent praecipe by a petitioner to stay the felling of trees for the proposed metro car shed.
Section 144 was imposed in the area after the MMRCL in a late-night move, began cutting trees which led to massive protests by activists who alleged that at least 1,000 trees were felled by the end of the day. “Police is hitting people, including the Adivasis, at the protest site. Adivasi girls are sitting inside and are refusing to leave. Police have detained people and taken them to different police stations,” one of the protesters said. Residents and environmentalists have been demanding that the car shed be shifted elsewhere to ensure the trees are protected.
Aarey Highlights: Police have detained people. (Express photo by Amit Chakravarty)
A day after Sanjay Nirupam alleged a conspiracy to sideline leaders loyal to Rahul Gandhi over apparent denial of tickets to his loyalists, city Congress president Eknath Gaikwad told reporters that Nirupam should meet AICC general secretary Mallikarjun Kharge and party chief Sonia Gandhi to get his "misunderstandings" cleared. "People from the metropolis are angry with the Maharashtra government on the issues of the PMC bank and metro car shed at Aarey," he said. (PTI)
Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) dismissed green activists' contention on Saturday that a fresh notice was needed before cutting trees in Aarey Colony after the Bombay High Court dismissed petitions opposing it. Protests broke out in Aarey Colony in north Mumbai on Friday night after MMRC started cutting trees for the construction of a car shed for Mumbai Metro's phase III.
In the aftermath of Friday's protests against tree felling, 29 people have been remanded in judicial custody for 14 days. The police had also asked for custody of four of the protestors to investigate their role in Friday night’s chaos at Aarey but a magistrate rejected the pleas. All protestors have been booked on the charges of unlawful assembly and using criminal force to deter a public servant from carrying out his official duties under the Indian Penal Code. If convicted, the offences carry prison terms ranging between six months and three years.
Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray commented on Aarey protests, a day after holding a joint presser with BJP on seat sharing pact: "The upcoming government will be our government and we come into power once again, we will deal with the murderers of Aarey forest in the best possible way we can."
The activists, in their application, sought a stay on the MMRCL action for a week so that they could approach the Supreme Court against the high court's order. The application was taken up for urgent hearing by Justices S C Dharmadhikari and A K Menon. After brief arguments, the bench refused to grant the stay and disposed of their application. (PTI)
The 29 protesters who were arrested by Mumbai police for allegedly assaulting public servants and forming an unlawful assembly have been remanded to judicial custody. Several others participating in the protests against the tree-felling at Aarey for the construction of the proposed metro car shed were also detained.
"These photos are of trees outside the Depot plot, on opp side of the road. They (MMRCL) don't have any permission for cutting these trees for sure. These trees are not part of 2702 tree proposal," said activist Zoru Bathena who moved the Bombay High Court with an urgent petition seeking stay on the tree felling at Aarey.
A petitioner on Saturday moved an urgent praecipe before Bombay High Court seeking stay on the ongoing tree cutting at Aarey. A bench of Justices S C Dharmadhikari and A K Menon has, however, rejected their plea.
Residents living inside Aarey colony have been asked to show address proof at the three entry points. Only those who are able to produce proofs are allowed to go inside Aarey.
Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam arrives at Goregaon entry point to Aarey.
"We have arrested 29 protesters. Six of them are women. Some of them had manhandled and beaten the police personnel deployed in Aarey Colony and obstructed them from discharging their duty," a police official was quoted as saying by PTI.
Amid the ongoing furore over tree cutting, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar in Lucknow said that the cutting of trees for the Mumbai Metro was similar to what was done in Delhi for the construction of the metro, and added that the government will plant double the trees than felled. “Today, Delhi Metro is the world’s best metro. But how did it develop? We had to cut at least 20-25 trees for one metro station. People protested then too, in the same way they are protesting now. Later, we had planted five trees in place of one. And now, in 15-17 years, they have grown. We successfully constructed 271 stations, too. In this way, Delhi’s forest cover also grew and public transport service was provided to the 30 lakh Delhiites. This is how our ministry works. We work on development along with taking care of our environment," he said.
"Development must have a human face. What is the hurry to impose Section 144? Lathi charge on activists is unnecessary and I condemn it," Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam said.
"We crossed the Aarey picnic point at around 9:45 am and we could hear the machines being used to cut trees. It was disheartening, police had promised last night that no more trees will be cut, " said K Shamata Surve who has been detained at Aarey police station since 9:45 am.
Three women have been detained at Aarey police station since morning.
Shiv Sena’s youth wing president Aaditya Thackeray Saturday slammed the MMRCL for the felling of trees In Aarey colony. In a series of tweets, the Shiv Sena leader expressed his displeasure at the action taken by the MMRCL and asked why protesting citizens were being treated “like criminals”. He criticised the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd for “slyly and swiftly” cutting down an ecosystem, which, he said, is “shameful and disgusting”.
Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam is heading to Aarey Colony.
Yohan Fernandes, a resident of Mulund, was taken to Aarey police station for clicking pictures of the area near the metro carshed. He said, "The cops wanted to see my phone. I am here since 8:45am. Aarey is the only patch we get in the city to cycle. We are not criminals, we are just protestors who want to save the only green lung of our city. I want to urge more people to come and protest at the site. We are not against the construction of the metro, authorities need to understand that. We need to outnumber the police personnel present here." Fernandes is a part of cyclists group from Mulund who cycle in the area during weekends.
"We are detained at Vanrai police station for protesting against brutal cutting of trees at Aarey," Shiv Sena corporator Sheetal Mhatre tweeted.
Twenty-nine people have been arrested in connection with the protests that broke out last night, police said.
Manisha Dhinde, an Adivasi girl and a student of Shri M D Shah Mahila College of Arts and Commerce, said she has an exam to appear for but police have detained her. "They are not willing to talk to her principal," Amrita Bhattacharjee of Aarey Conservation Group said. She is at Dahisar police station.
"The allegations made by some persons of high handedness by Mumbai Police during the Aarey bandobast are false. All due procedures and legally valid steps were taken while handling the situation yesterday. The situation currently is peaceful and due legal procedures are being followed," Pranaya Ashok, DCP(Operations), Mumbai Police, said in a statement.
Police have booked 40 protesters under various sections of the IPC since late Friday night. An official told PTI that over 60 people protesting against the felling of trees have been detained.
Students standing near the Western Express Highway in Goregaon, away from the Aarey entry point, have also been detained.
Students and activists detained from Goregaon check Naka have been taken Samta Nagar police station. "I have not violated Section 144. I am standing here alone and not in a group. We (citizens) are requesting police to show us the permission to cut trees and they are violently acting and detaining us," Priyanka Chaturvedi said.
Sitting MP Gajanan Kirtikar, who is in Palghar and is expected to reach Aarey by evening, said, "Now that court order has come, I don't think the process of cutting the trees can be stopped."
Jogeshwari East AAP candidate Vitthal Lad: The villagers from hamlets are not being allowed to leave their houses. Several people cannot go inside Aarey to their hamlets."
Shiv Sena's Shubha Raul said, "We reached a point where we could hear the machines cutting the trees. At least 1,000 trees have already been felled. Four Sena leaders and a few volunteers have been detained by police. We have been taken to Aarey police station."
Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi has also been detained by the cops.
Sena corporator Sheetal Mhatre and former Mayor Shubha Raul have also been detained.
Section 144 has been imposed at Aarey Colony.
Students and activists who were posting updates on the tree felling on social media have been detained from Goregaon Aarey entry point.
"Cops are taking mobile of people who are trying to click pictures," Tasneem Shaikh, from Aarey conservation group, told The Indian Express.
In a statement today, AAP Joint Secretary Ruben Mascarenhas said, "Extraordinary hurry and high-handedness was shown on the part of the Police and the administration in the felling of trees at Metro-3 Car shed at Aarey. Many of us, including me, were detained by the police and then released. Sadly, a large number of Adivasi women are still detained at Dahisar Police Stn and Aarey Police Stn since last night. We urge our friends in the media to please help secure their immediate release."
Congress leader and former Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Nirupam called it the “saddest day in Mumbai” and condemned the government and MMRCL. He tweeted: “It looks tree cutting in #AareyForest has started. Its saddest day in Mumbai. I condemn the govt, MMRCL and all those who support car shed in Aarey.”
The three entrances to the Aarey Colony, ie, Powai, Western Expressway Highway and Marol have been barricaded. Protesters have planned to gather at all the entry points.
A protester accused the police of being “very violent” and that they tried to hit him with lathis. “Police is stopping people who are reaching near car depot site. Still, they are here and coming in more numbers. People are singing hum honge kaamyab,” a protester at the site said.
Most political parties, sensing its importance in the upcoming state election, have declared their support to “saving the environment”. Except the BJP, which has maintained that the car depot in Aarey Colony would be in the interest of the city, its ally Shiv Sena, opposition parties Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Aam Aadmi Party and Samajwadi Party, have all gatecrashed the ‘Save Aarey’ movement.
The proposed carshed, part of the metro-3 project, will occupy 33 hectares in the southern part of Aarey Colony.
The authority has approved felling of 2,185 trees and transplanting (uprooting from the original spot and replanting them at an alternate spot) 461 trees from the area. The authority's approval is mandatory for felling more than 20 trees at a time at any place in the city.
The Maharashtra government had claimed that Aarey Colony could not be termed a forest and that the issue was already decided by another high court bench. Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni, appearing for the state earlier, had said an appeal against the high court order refusing to declare Aarey a forest was currently pending before the Supreme Court.
Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani condemned the lathi charge on protesters. Taking to Twitter, he said, "Lathi Charge done for the first time at the peaceful protests for Aarey. People have been detained inside, gates have been closed and the authorities are abusing the protestors. Women have been pushed and detained by the police at this hour, which is lawfully wrong."
People gathered in protest at Aarey forest against the felling of trees on Friday night. They were later removed by the police.
Following the High Court order, the felling of trees began late Friday night. The MMRCL has said only 2 per cent of Aarey land is going to be used for the project.
Taking to Twitter, Stalin D, member of NGO Vanaskakti and whose petitions were among those that were dismissed, said, "Why can't the Environment minister under your party stop the work since there is a clear violation of terms of MPCB consent to establish? You can LEGALLY stop the work. Are you willing to walk the talk, Sir? Call me if you are."
At Dahisar Police Station, at least 26 people continue to be detained. Out of them, nine are women. The women's group also comprises of colleges students, one of whom has an exam today. Protesters said they will decide the next course of action.
Taking to Twitter, Aam Aadmi Party leader Preeti Menon Sharma said tree cutting was a violation of the poll code in force for the October 21 Assembly elections.
The site of the proposed car shed saw heavy police deployment as hundreds of people gathered there late Friday night to stop trees from being hacked.
"...Wonder why @MumbaiMetro3 is treating Mumbaikars like criminals and not listening to sensible demand of sustainable development," tweeted Shiv Sena Scion Aaditya Thackeray.
30-40 people were taken to Vanrai police station in Goregaon East. Most protesters have been allowed to go. Two men came with torn shirts.