Won't pay fine, ready to go to jail, says Sri Sri on Yamuna event

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 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 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 Art of Living 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.

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. Around 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 told NDTV.

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 Delhi Development Authority and environment ministry for their role.

Meanwhile, the Art of Living foundation’s culture festival suffered another blow with Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe pulling out of the event due to security and protocol issues.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, “MEA did not invite the president. The invitation was extended entirely by the Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Foundation when asked about whether Zimbabwe president has pulled out from the event due to security and protocol issues.