Congress Targets Centre Over Removal Of Bhupender Yadav’s Aides, Alleges Scandal
Congress alleges scandal after Bhupender Yadav’s aides removed
The Congress on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Centre over the removal of four close aides of Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, alleging that the action was linked to a “gigantic scandal” involving decisions related to environmental regulations and land use. The opposition party claimed that the dismissals exposed a major failure of accountability within the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the removal of the officials reflected a “complete collapse of due diligence and accountability at the very top”.
He questioned the circumstances behind the action and claimed that the developments needed greater transparency from the government. Ramesh alleged that since June 2025, the Union Environment Ministry and the Rajasthan government had been working on proposals to redraw the boundary of the critical tiger habitat area in Sariska, located near Alwar in Rajasthan. He claimed that such a move could potentially benefit more than 50 mining companies whose operations had been closed, allowing them to restart activities in the region.
The Congress leader said the proposed changes raised serious environmental concerns because the Sariska landscape is an important wildlife conservation area. He alleged that altering the boundaries of the protected habitat could weaken conservation safeguards and open the region to renewed mining and commercial development. Ramesh further claimed that the Forest Survey of India (FSI) had opposed efforts to redefine sections of the Aravalli Hills. According to him, on September 20, 2025, the FSI warned that such a move could increase the risk of mining and real estate expansion in environmentally sensitive areas.
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He said the concerns raised by the agency were supported by other bodies involved in judicial oversight of environmental matters. The Congress leader claimed that the Supreme Court-mandated Central Empowered Committee and the apex court-appointed amicus curiae had also backed the FSI’s position on protecting the Aravalli region. He alleged that despite these objections, the environment ministry continued to support the proposed reclassification of the area. “These developments bear recall now in light of the sudden sacking of four close aides of the Union Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change,” Ramesh said in a post on X.
He suggested that the timing of the removals raised questions about whether they were connected to the ongoing environmental controversies. The allegations have added a fresh political dimension to debates over conservation, mining permissions and development activities in ecologically sensitive regions. The Aravalli Hills, spread across several northern Indian states, have long been a focus of environmental campaigns due to concerns over illegal mining, groundwater depletion and habitat loss. The Sariska region, known for its tiger reserve and biodiversity, has also been at the centre of conservation efforts aimed at balancing economic activity with wildlife protection.
Environmental groups have repeatedly raised concerns about activities that could impact forest areas and wildlife corridors. The Centre and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change have not issued a detailed response to the Congress allegations. The reasons behind the removal of the four aides and whether the decision was connected to any specific policy matter have not been officially disclosed. The controversy is expected to intensify political discussions around environmental governance, particularly as parties debate the balance between development projects and protection of fragile ecosystems.
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