NGT seeks Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's reply

The National Green Tribunal today sought Art of Living (AOL) head Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's reply on an application which alleged the spiritual guru had termed its earlier order as "politically motivated".
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar issued the notice and asked Sri Sri to file a reply within two weeks on the plea which alleged that he had shown disrespect to the tribunal's order asking AOL to deposit Rs five crore as environmental compensation for a three-day cultural extravaganza held here from March 11.
During the hearing, the counsel representing the applicant referred to media reports and said action should be taken against the spiritual guru for the statement allegedly "scandalising the tribunal and interfering with dispensation of justice by the tribunal".

"Let reply to this application be filed then we will proceed with the matter in accordance with law. List this matter on May 25, 2016," the bench said.
During the hearing, it asked whether such statement was given by Sri Sri or was it reported only in the media.
AOL's advocate told the bench that the application was based only on media report and no such statement was given by Sri Sri.

(Reopens LGD 15)
On March 9, the green panel had cleared the decks for the three-day cultural extravaganza of AOL on the flood plains of Yamuna river but had imposed a fine of Rs five crore on it as environmental compensation.

It had slapped fine of Rs five lakh on Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Rs one lakh on the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) for not discharging statutory functions.
The tribunal's order had come on the pleas by NGOs and environmentalists who had sought cancellation of the festival on the ground that it would seriously endanger the fragile ecosystem on the riverbed.