Srinagar: The cutting of large branches of century-old sweet chestnut trees on the Kashmir University campus in Srinagar has triggered an environmental controversy, with environmentalist and chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Climate Action Group, Raja Muzaffar Bhat, alleging intimidation after raising questions over the destruction of the tree.Bhat, who has been campaigning for environmental conservation in Kashmir, said he deleted video showing “how brutally” the tree has been damaged from his social media page after receiving three consecutive phone calls from individuals identifying themselves as members of the Cyber Police Srinagar, which he suspected were arranged by the University authorities.Following three consecutive phone calls from individuals identifying themselves as Cyber Police Srinagar instructing me to take down my posts, I am removing the videos regarding the Loping / Axing of the Sweet Chestnut trees at the @UnivofKashmir campus strictly under protest.It is deeply disappointing to witness attempts to suppress legitimate environmental concerns rather than address them transparently through a dialogue. I never expected this from the University of Kashmir at least ? While the videos are coming down today, this issue is far from over. I remain committed to seeking accountability and will be pursuing legal recourse to challenge the axing of the trees and other allied issues before the competent court-@diprjk @CM_JnK @OfficeOfLGJandK @JmuKmrPol— Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat (@rtimuzaffar) November 14, 2026In a follow-up post on X (formerly Twitter), Bhat mentioned he was removing the video under protest, alleging that the calls were intended to silence his concerns over the felling of what he described as heritage trees.“Following three consecutive phone calls from individuals identifying themselves as Cyber Police Srinagar instructing me to take down my posts, I am removing the videos regarding the lopping/axing of the sweet chestnut trees at the University of Kashmir campus strictly under protest,” he wrote.Speaking to The Wire, Bhat alleged that university officials had also attempted to intimidate him through different channels. He described the developments as deeply disappointing, adding that environmental concerns should be addressed through transparency and dialogue rather than pressure on those raising them.“While the videos are coming down today, this issue is far from over. I remain committed to seeking accountability and will be pursuing legal recourse to challenge the axing of the trees and other allied issues before the competent court,” he said.The controversy began after large branches of a century-old tree were cut down by the varsity. Environmental activists have accused the administration of damaging an important part of the campus’s ecological heritage under the pretext of pruning.Sweet chestnut trees are believed to have been planted during the reign of Maharaja Hari Singh, the last ruling Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir.According to Bhat, they were introduced to Kashmir by Mohammad Rehman Affindi, a friend and Oxford University classmate of Maharaja Hari Singh and were planted at several locations across the region, including the present-day KU campus.The controversy has also attracted criticism from Vikramaditya Singh, former member of the Legislative Council and grandson of Maharaja Hari Singh.Reacting to Bhat’s post, on Instagram, Singh expressed his displeasure over the deep branch cutting of the tree. “This is unacceptable. People responsible for this should be taken to task,” he wrote. Bhat urged him to approach Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who is the chancellor of the university.Bhat described these trees as a rare and endangered variety that represents an important part of Kashmir’s natural and historical heritage.Questioning the KU administration’s justification that the branches were removed as part of routine pruning to protect the nearby Economics and History Department building, Bhat called those claims “absurd”.“The tree is 20 feet away from the building. I don’t understand the logic of axing it. This is not pruning, as the university authorities claim. People can see the videos themselves and decide whether this is pruning or axing. Changing the vocabulary cannot hide what has happened to the tree,” he said.The university has maintained that the branches were removed because the tree posed a potential threat to the nearby buildings. However, the justification given by the UK authorities failed to convince several environmentalists and social media users, who have questioned whether such extensive cutting could reasonably be described as routine tree maintenance.The controversy has also raised broader questions about the university’s approach to infrastructure expansion and the protection of its existing green cover. Bhat alleged that the university’s Public Relations Officer had approached some local newspapers, asking them to remove reports about the incident from their websites. These allegations could not be independently verified.Some social media users have criticised the UK authorities for haunting Bhat through different channels and said that they want to hide their faults. “It is deeply unfortunate that the @University of Kashmir seems to be stifling the voice of environmental defender Dr. Raja Muzaffar Bhat, who has rightly flagged the unlawful cutting down of century-old chestnut trees,” said lawyer Muneer Najar on Facebook.Bhat told The Wire that he won’t surrender and would file Right to Information (RTI) applications to obtain details of the Chinar tree census and establish how many trees have been removed on the university campus to facilitate construction projects.“The fight is not over. I will file an RTI to get details of the Chinar census and check how many Chinar trees have been chopped to construct buildings on the campus. They think nobody is watching them and that they can continue unchecked construction and turn the green cover into a concrete jungle,” he said.He also questioned the rationale behind continued construction on the campus at a time when several postgraduate and undergraduate departments at the University of Kashmir and its affiliated colleges are reportedly witnessing declining student enrolment and vacant seats.Bhat questioned whether additional buildings were justified without a clear assessment of institutional requirements at a time when the university has conducted repeated on-the-spot admission rounds to fill vacant seats, including waiving entrance examination requirements in some cases.“If student enrolment has declined, I don’t understand the purpose of constructing buildings without any clear requirement. People need to understand why these structures are being built and whether this is an attempt to fill the pockets of a few,” he said.The Climate Action Group has also drawn attention to an earlier incident in 2020, when around 50 similar sweet chestnut trees were reportedly felled in the New Theed area of Harwan to make way for a power grid station. “They are cutting down these trees without knowing the significance and history of these trees. Only a person who has lost sense can take such moves,” it said.