New Delhi, July 3 -- The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change on Thursday dismissed allegations of weakening environmental protections, calling them as misleading and based on a "gross misunderstanding of facts," and urged people to refrain from circulating what it termed 'deliberate misinformation.'

The clarification comes hours after Congress leader Jairam Ramesh cited a letter by civil society members, alleging that the ministry has "subverted" the Forest Rights Act.

Ramesh had shared a letter written by over 150 civil society groups and activists on the X platform, which objected to the statements of the Environment Minister, criticised the amendments to the Forest (Conservation) Act, among other things.

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