Modi government dismantling forests, weakening environmental framework, says Kharge

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A forest trail leading into the Puliyancholai near Thuraiyur in Tiruchi. File | Photo Credit: R. Vengadesh

On World environment Day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday (June 5, 2026) attacked the Modi government for "dismantling" forests and "weakening" the environmental governance framework.

In a post on X, Mr. Kharge alleged that India's natural forests are being steadily eroded while the Modi government relies on manipulated definitions and selective accounting to "manufacture an illusion" of environmental progress.

"On World Environment Day, it is time to stop the further degradation of our forests, rivers, oceans, air, and habitats. While PM Modi publicly urges citizens to cope with rising heat through symbolic gestures such as 'staying hydrated' to overcome the sweltering temperatures, his Govt is simultaneously presiding over one of the most aggressive and large-scale assaults on India's ecological wealth in recent history," he charged on X.

Official figures and project clearances indicate that nearly 1,91,922 hectares of forest have been chopped off in the last 11 years, he claimed.

Since 2014, Mr. Kharge alleged, an estimated 1.6 crore plus trees have been destroyed, laying bare the contradiction between the Modi government's green claims and ground reality.

"Across the country, this ecological destruction continues unabated: In Andaman & Nicobar, the Great Nicobar project threatens to destroy ~10 lakh trees, endangering a fragile island ecosystem.

"In Madhya Pradesh, mining and infrastructure expansion are wiping out ~7 lakh trees across forest regions. In Chhattisgarh, the Hasdeo Arand coal mining project is set to fell ~5 lakh trees, severely impacting a critical biodiversity hotspot," the Congress chief said.

"In Rajasthan, he claimed, multiple development projects threaten nearly ~1.5-4 lakh trees, further weakening the already fragile Aravalli ecosystem. In Uttar Pradesh, highways and expressways have led to the removal of around one lakh t