Will go to jail but not pay a penny: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on NGT fine

NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal has given the Sri Sri Ravi Shankar-led Art Of Living (AOL) Foundation time till Friday to pay Rs 5 crore fine for organising the World Culture Festival on the Yamuna flood plains. NGT said that the law will take its course if AOL fails to pay up, even as Sri Srin Ravi Shankar said that he would not pay any fine and was willing to go to jail.

“They still have time till tomorrow to deposit .`5 crore fine as environment compensation in compliance with the directions of the tribunal. If there is any breach of any condition, the matter will be taken up, if required and law will take its own course,” NGT chairperson of municipal solid waste and drinking water. The counsel appearing for the DPCC informed the tribunal that as directed by it, a committee is already visiting the site and if necessary, directions will be issued.

The green tribunal, which found several environmental violations by the organisers, blamed the delay on the part of environmental activists in raising the issue before it which compelled it to grant permission for event. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, however, sounded defiant saying he would rather go to jail than pay the fine. “We have not done anything wrong. We have been taintless and will remain so. We will go to jail but not pay a penny,” he said.

He 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. “Not a single tree was felled. Trees were only pruned and we levelled the floodplain,” he said on Friday.