Delhi Polls: Jayanthi Natarajan was told to protect poor, tribal and follow ecology norms, says Rahul Gandhi

NEW DELHI: In a combative and rare focused political speech, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi confronted loyalist-turned-renegade Jayanthi Natarajan’s recent accusations and asserted that he had told the then environment minister, who was later sacked, to strictly follow ecology norms and tribal/poor concerns before clearing big industrial projects.

Asserting that he would fight for the interests of poor, tribal and the environment till his “last breath”, Gandhi alleged Natarjan was put up by PM Modi to target him. He also attacked him saying, “Modi speaks about Make-in-India but himself wears Make-in-UK suits”, while his government left ordinary people undelivered on his pre-poll promises.

Gandhi chose a well-attended rally in Delhi to respond to Natarajan’s allegations that his instructions were the reasons why as environment minister she had not cleared many industrial projects. “Natarajan says I told her to keep the rights of the adivasis and the poor in mind as well as the interests of the environment; yes, I did so. I told Natarajan that you have to protect the environment, tribals and poor, I am not scared of it,” he said. He branded Natarajan who quit Congress last week after making the charge as a Modi prop. “Modi put up Jayanthi Natarajan to attack me... Because, I told her to protect the environment and the tribal.”