The Art of Living extravaganza will go as planned. Clearing the last roadblock for the World Culture Festival, the National Green Tribunal on Friday granted three weeks time to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living foundation to pay the fine imposed on them.
The NGT has asked the foundation to pay Rs 25 lakh on Friday itself while the remaining Rs 4.75 lakh can be paid in the next three weeks. However, the NGT has said that if AOL fails to pay Rs 25 lakh on Friday, then the grant of Rs 2.5 crore by government will be attached.
Seeking 4 weeks' time to pay the fine, the AOL had said that it is a charitable organisation and it is difficult for it to raise Rs 5 crore in a short period.
Responding to the plea, the NGT asked, "Have you made statement in media that you would not pay fine and rather go to jail?" The Art of Living justified the statement, saying "there is a context to that statement made in media. Media was portraying it as a fine where as it is an amount to be paid for environmental restoration."
The question was asked after the NGT agreed to hear the plea by environmentalists seeking a stay on the event. The environmentalists argued that the event should not be allowed as long as the fine is not deposited.
NGT also took a strong objection to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's earlier refusal to pay the fine. The tribunal claimed that when a person of a stature like him makes such statements, it hits rule of law. Sri Sri had on Thursday said that he he is ready to go to jail but had refused to pay the fine of Rs 5 crore. He had maintained that he would challenge the fine order claiming that he had done no wrong.
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