Great Nicobar project draws Rajasthan Congress backing for Rahul Gandhi’s #GreenOverGreed campaign

Jaipur: On the occasion of World Environment Day, senior Rajasthan Congress functionaries, including former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra and Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully, extended support to Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's #GreenOverGreed campaign and voiced concern over the proposed development project on Great Nicobar Island.

Backing the campaign, Gehlot said he signed the petition launched by Rahul Gandhi and urged people to join the initiative. Gehlot said the campaign seeks to protect India's natural heritage, tribal communities and biodiversity. He claimed that large-scale destruction of forests, coral reefs and other ecological assets was being carried out on Great Nicobar in the name of development and called upon citizens to support the movement.

"The Modi govt is destroying Great Nicobar Island. More than 1.5 crore trees, ancient coral reefs, irreplaceable rainforests are being destroyed - to profit one businessman," said Gehlot on X. "Development must always be balanced and sustainable from an environmental perspective, not for the benefit of select industrialists."

Jully said he stood firmly with Gandhi's campaign against the alleged destruction of the Andaman and Nicobar ecosystem and personally signed the petition. Describing Great Nicobar as an invaluable natural heritage, Jully said crores of trees, ancient rainforests and rich biodiversity were under threat. He appealed to people, particularly youth and environmental activists, to join the campaign and raise their voice for environmental conservation.

Dotasra also backed the campaign, asserting that Great Nicobar was a national heritage asset and not a resource to be exploited for private interests. He alleged that the proposed project would harm one of India's most valuable ecological regions and appealed to Congress workers across Rajasthan to sign the petition and become part of what he termed a people's movement to protect the environment.