Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Saturday criticised the Chhattisgarh HC’s decision to set aside forest rights granted to a village community in the Hasdeo Aranya region, saying the ruling “undermines the entire foundation” of the Forest Rights Act, 2006.

Ramesh said the single-judge Bench had struck down community forest rights on questionable grounds, arguing that since the land had previously been diverted for mining and no challenge was made at that time, the villagers’ claim to forest rights could not survive. “There is no mystery about who the beneficiary is. Modani hai to mumkin hai,” he remarked, taking a swipe at the BJP-led government and industrial interests allegedly linked to it.

He further noted that the court’s observation, that the Forest Rights Act does not interfere with St

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