- ‘If I have inadvertently hurt anyone’s sentiments, I feel sorry for that’
JAMMU: Minister for Forest, Environment and Ecology, Choudhary Lal Singh has strongly denied having made any acerbic comments while talking to a delegation of the members of Gujjar community, who had visited him at his residence in Jammu recently. “I never made any comments to hurt the sentiments of any community,” Lal Singh said at a press conference here today.
“I always entertain people, who call on me, irrespective of their caste, creed or religious affiliation,” he said. “However, if I have inadvertently hurt anyone’s sentiments or feelings, I feel sorry for the same. My effort has always been to serve all the communities of the State,”the Minister said. Lal Singh said the allegations are completely baseless and he would do anything to protect the interests of the general public.
“I was speaking to my Gujjar brothers in Dogri about the increasing temperature in Jammu. I had said that “the mercury would reach 47 degrees centigrade in Jammu”. This was misunderstood by some people who connected the temperature with 1947 when the country got freedom. “Forty seven degree should not be confused with the tragedies of 1947,” he said.
He said it is ironic that some people are always ready to exploit the situation on one or other pretext. He said the forest protection is his top most priority and he won’t allow any element to play politics over it. It is pertinent to mention that a delegation of Gujjars and Bakerwals headed by Choudhary Harun in a written statement said that the Minister only talked about conservation of forests and sought cooperation of the people in this endeavor.