Will go to jail but won't pay a penny: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on NGT fine
New Delhi: The Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Thursday defiantly said that 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 we will go to jail but not pay a penny," said Ravi Shankar.
The NGT on Wednesday imposed a fine of Rs 5 crore on AOL as environmental compensation while clearing the decks for its three-day cultural extravaganza.
Read: Sri Sri event: Pay fine or we'll revoke clearance, NGT tells Art of Living
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 on Thursday.
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".
Read: SC junks plea seeking to stop Sri Sri’s World Culture Festival
"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.
Read: Amid controversy, Mugabe pulls out of Art of Living cultural event
Notwithstanding the raging row over environmental damage due to the 3-day festival, the NGT yesterday gave its go ahead to the event to be held on the Yamuna floodplains from March 11, expressing its helplessness in banning it.
Read: NGT gives reluctant nod to Sri Sri event, Art of Living fined Rs 5 crore
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.
