Hailing the Supreme Court’s order which restrains authorities from cutting more trees in Aarey Colony to make way for a Metro car shed, the Shiv Sena on Monday, 7 October, said it is a

“moral victory” for environmentalists. Maneesha Kayande, spokesperson of the Sena, which is an ally of the ruling BJP but has been opposing tree felling in the city's green belt, said

it was the government's “mistake” not to declare Aarey area as a forest and rued that nearly 2,100 trees have been cut in two days. “The Supreme Court’s directives to maintain status

quo at the Aarey site is a moral victory for environmentalists and citizens of Mumbai who are objecting to it,” the MLC said.