Jairam Ramesh: Those who targeted me now talk about climate change

In a veiled attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Wednesday that those who once criticised him for raising alarm over climate change are now championing the same cause. The former Union environment minister was speaking at a seminar organised by the Madhya Pradesh government here on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary.  

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"Those who criticised me ten years ago for talking about climate change are today taking a lead in advocating ways to address climate change globally," he said.  

When he spoke out about environmental degradation, these people used to say that development should be given primacy, Ramesh said. "I won't name anybody," he added. 

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‘Hard decisions needed’ 

Last month, prime minister Modi said at the United Nation's Climate Action Summit that the time for talking was over and the world needs to act immediately to prevent climate change. Modi also underlined the importance of using renewable sources of energy instead of non-renewable sources. Saying that climate change was affecting our day-to-day life, Ramesh further said that if "we don't protect nature, nature would not protect us". The amount of rain that was recorded in four months of monsoon earlier is now falling in eight days, he said. Hard decisions were needed for sustainable development, the former Union minister said. 

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