The Congress party on Tuesday criticized the Modi government for redefining the Aravalli mountain range. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh called the Aravallis a natural heritage with great ecological value that needs protection and restoration. He questioned why the government is "hell-bent" on changing the Aravallis and asked, "To what end? For whose benefit?" Ramesh also challenged the Environment and Forest Minister's recent clarifications on the issue. The minister said only 0.19% of the 1.44 lakh sq km area identified as Aravallis is under mining leases, which equals 68,000 acres. Ramesh explained this 1.44 lakh sq km figure is misleading as it covers entire landmass of 34 districts where Aravallis are found, not just the actual Aravalli hills areas. Using only the Aravalli land as the base would make the 0.19% estimate too low. In 15 of these districts, Ramesh said, Aravallis cover 33% of the land. He criticized the new definition for possibly excluding many hills over 100 meters and opening these areas, especially in Delhi NCR, for real estate and mining development, increasing environmental stress. He warned that redefining the Sariska Tiger Reserve boundaries to allow mining will fragment this connected ecosystem and harm its ecological value. On Monday, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav accused Congress of spreading "misinformation". He said mining is legally allowed in only 0.19% of Aravallis and claimed the Modi government is committed to protecting the range. Yadav condemned Congress for allowing illegal mining in Rajasthan earlier and said the government stands by the Supreme Court's November 2025 decision. The court defined "Aravalli Hill" as landforms 100 metres above surrounding areas, and "Aravalli Range" as clusters of two or more such hills within 500 metres. This debate highlights concerns about environmental protection versus development in India's oldest mountain range.