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Ready to go to jail, won’t pay penalty: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
A united opposition in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday slammed the Government for allowing Indian Army to be used for a private event of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living foundation, saying the event itself on the ecologically fragile flood plains of Yamuna was an environmental disaster
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New Delhi
The Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Thursday sounded defiant saying he would rather go to jail than pay the fine imposed on his organisation by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for environmental violations over a cultural extravaganza on the floodplains of Yamuna.
“We have not done anything wrong. We have been taintless and will remain so. We will go to jail but not pay a penny,” said Ravi Shankar. The NGT on Wednesday imposed a fine of Rs five crore on AOL as environmental compensation while clearing the decks for its three-day cultural extravaganza.
The organisation’s chief Sri Sri Ravi Shankar also tweeted that AOL was not “satisfied” with the verdict of the NGT and would appeal against it. He urged political parties not to “politicise” the event.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar also denied that any tree at the venue was felled and claimed that the trees had only been pruned and all they had done was level the floodplain. “Not a single tree was felled. Trees were only pruned and we levelled the floodplain,” he said today.
Cultural Olympics
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar also expressed confidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the festival and claimed that people opposing it would “soon see sense”.
“This is like a Cultural Olympics. 37,000 artistes from all over the world would come together at one single platform. This is an event to bring people closer to each other. Event of this magnitude should be welcomed,” he said.
Notwithstanding the raging row over environmental damage due to the three-day festival, the NGT on Wednesday gave its go ahead to the event to be held on the Yamuna floodplains from March 11, expressing its helplessness in banning it because of “fait accompli”.
Nevertheless, it imposed a fine of Rs five crore on AOL as environmental compensation after coming down heavily on the foundation for not disclosing its full plans. The green bench also criticised the DDA and Environment Ministry for their role.
Friday deadline
Meanwhile, NGT has said that AOL has time till Friday (today) to deposit Rs 5 crore fine. “If there is any breach, law will take its own Course,” it said. It has also asked CPCB, MoEF and DPCC to issue a proper direction to the AOL with regard to disposal of municipal waste.
On Thursday NGT refused to give urgent hearing to a fresh plea seeking stay on event on the ground that it had not taken requisite permission from fire department, CPWD and Police.
Zimbabwe Prez Mugabe to skip fest
Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe, who was supposed to be the guest of honour at Art of Living’s World Culture Festival, has decided skip to the event owing to inadequacies in protocol and security arrangements. A Zimbabwe newspaper reported on Thursday that Mugabe, who left Harare for New Delhi on Monday to attend the three-day World Culture Festival, returned home less than 48 hours after his arrival in New Delhi. Before Mugabe, President Pranab Mukherjee also announced that he wouldn’t be part of the festival.
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