Don't believe in fake photos: Hardeep Singh Puri denies reports of Jamun trees removed for Central Vista project

The Centre on Saturday admitted that “a few trees” along the Rajpath will be transplanted during the Central Vista redevelopment project, and insisted that no jamun trees in the area have been removed so far.

“No jamun trees have been removed. Only a few trees will be transplanted in the entire project,” Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Puri said amid a raging political row over the continuance of the Central Vista project in the middle of the pandemic.

Congress leaders have been on a warpath against the project that entails constructing a new Parliament building, redevelopment of the Rajpath avenue, new residences for the prime minister and the vice president and office blocks to house all the ministries and departments along the Rajpath.

“The only thing that is bizarre is the Modi government thinks spending on a new Parliament, new mansion for the PM, and office buildings is an ‘essential service,’ while the country is reeling from a shortage of oxygen, beds, medicines, and even vaccines. Stop defending the indefensible,” senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said.

Earlier, Puri had hit out at the Congress saying the party’s government in Chhattisgarh was constructing a new state Assembly building, while Maharashtra, where it is a partner in the government, had called for bids to build a new MLA hostel during the pandemic.

On Saturday, Puri posted a series of photographs and a short video on how the refurbished Rajpath avenue would look like when the project is completed.

“It will have more public space with refurbished lawns, paved walkways along Rajpath, improved landscape, clean canals, adequate public amenities, vending areas, public performance facilities, safe road crossings, non-disruptive facilities for public events,” Puri said.