Published On : Thu, Apr 27th, 2017

Contempt notice to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for blaming centre, NGT over floodplains damage

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SriSri
New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal on Thursday issued a contempt notice against Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for blaming the government and the green panel over damage to the Yamuna floodplains.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar issued notice to Sri Sri while seeking his reply before May 9, the next date of hearing.

The notice came on a plea filed by activist Manoj Misra seeking action against the Art of Living founder. The plea said his remarks interfered with with free and fair dispensation of justice, a news agency reported.

Sri Sri had blamed the government and the NGT for permitting AOL to hold the World Culture Festival and said his foundation had obtained all necessary permissions, including from the green panel. He said the event could have been stopped in the beginning itself if the river was so “fragile and pure”.

In the plea filed through advocates Ritwick Dutta and Rahul Choudhary, Misra said the AOL head was “in the habit” of making statements to “denigrate the dignity and status of this tribunal, which was an interference in the fair dispensation of justice”, that is the bedrock of the rule of law. ​