Mumbai, October 5: Several activists who tried to stop the authorities from cutting trees at Aarey Colony in Mumbai were detained on Friday night. Reports inform that several protesters spent the night outside Aarey as police stopped them from entering the area. In the wake of the ongoing protests, Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday extended his support to activists and termed the cutting of trees as an "ego battle". Aaditya, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray's son, is all set to make his political debut in the upcoming Assembly elections in Maharashtra from Worli in Mumbai.  Aarey Tree Cutting: Video Shows Authorities Starts Chopping Down Trees, Twitterati Cries Foul.

The 29-year-old Shiv Sena leader took to Twitter to oppose the cutting of trees at Mumbai's Aarey Colony area where Metro authorities are planning to build a car shed for trains. Thackeray termed the cutting of trees as a 'shameful and disgusting' act which was carried out in 'cover of night'. "A project that should be executed with pride, the Metro 3, @MumbaiMetro3  has to do it in the cover of the night, with shame, slyness and heavy cop cover. The project supposed to get Mumbai clean air, is hacking down a forest with a leopard, rusty spotted cat and more", he said. 'Save Aarey' Setback: Bombay High Court Dismisses All Petitions Challenging BMC Decision Allowing Felling of Over 2,700 Trees For Metro Car Shade.

Take a look at the tweets:

Hundreds of protesters including environmental activists have been opposing the cutting of trees. The protesters are demanding the relocation of the bus depot, which is a part of the Metro III project. In another tweet, Thackeray said the vigour with which the Mumbai Metro  is slyly and swiftly cutting down an ecosystem in Aarey is shameful and disgusting. "How about posting these officials in PoK, giving them charge to destroy terror camps rather than trees?", he tweeted. 

"Many environmentalists and even many local Shiv Sena members from the vicinity have tried stopping this. More so the increased police presence and the way this deforestation is happening, Mumbai Metro is destroying everything India said at the UN," he added.

On Friday, the Bombay High Court dismissed all petitions against the proposed cutting down of over 2,500 trees in Aarey Colony of Mumbai to approve a Metro car shed and refused to declare the colony as a forest.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 05, 2019 08:47 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).