File photo of Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. (Getty Images)
New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal on Thursday took exception to spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s statement blaming the green panel and the Centre for damage caused to the Yamuna floodplains during a cultural event by his Art of Living Foundation last year.
Terming Sri Sri’s statement as “shocking”, the NGT directed Art of Living and other parties to reply on objections to an expert panel report on the damage.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar had on Tuesday blamed the government and the National Green Tribunal for permitting his NGO to hold the World Culture Festival on the Yamuna riverbed and said they should be held responsible if any environmental damage was caused.
“If, at all, any fine has to be levied, it should be levied on the Central and state governments and the NGT itself, for giving the permission. If the Yamuna was so fragile and pure, they should have stopped the World Culture Festival,” Ravi Shankar had said in a Facebook post.
He had accused the NGT of defying all principles of natural justice and said “a historic programme deserving of applause and appreciation is unjustly projected as a crime”.
Defending the spiritual leader’s statement, Art of Living spokesperson Jaideep Nath told CNN-News18: “We have not made any wrong statement. The committee is completely biased and irresponsible. This issue is very sensitive.”