The Supreme Court has strongly criticised the Haryana government for cutting down 40 fully-grown trees to build an access road leading to a newly constructed BJP office in Karnal. The court called the act “pathetic” and asked the state to explain why the trees were removed when other options were available. The judges also warned the government that they could be “taken to task” if a proper explanation and corrective plan were not provided.

A bench of Justices J. B. Pardiwala and K. V. Viswanathan was hearing a petition filed by Colonel (Retd.) Davinder Singh Rajput, a decorated 1971 war veteran who won the Vir Chakra for bravery. Rajput had earlier approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, challenging the decision to allot land near his house to the BJP and the construction of the access road through a green belt. However, the high court dismissed his plea, after which he moved the Supreme Court.

Rajput told the court that the land next to his 1,000-square-yard plot in Karnal’s Sector 9 was part of a residential area and should not have been given to a political party. He also said that the green belt in front of his house, which he had paid extra charges for decades ago, was damaged after 40 trees were removed to create a 10-metre-wide pathway.

When the matter came before the Supreme Court, the judges questioned the Haryana government’s actions. They asked why the trees were uprooted and whether the office could have been shifted to another location instead. The state’s lawyer, Additional Solicitor General Vikramjit Banerjee, claimed that all permissions were taken and environmental rules were followed. He assured the court that new trees would be planted to make up for the ones cut.

However, the court was not satisfied. It asked how the loss of fully-grown trees could be compensated and demanded a detailed explanation. The judges stressed that the state authorities would face consequences if they failed to justify their actions.

Earlier, on October 15, the Supreme Court had ordered the Haryana government to maintain the status quo and stop all further construction. It had also summoned the chief administrator of the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) to explain how and why the trees were cut. The case remains under review, and the court has made it clear that any further development without permission will be taken very seriously.