Sri’s Cultural Mela: NDA, PM back event; NGT dilutes fine procedure

Avoiding flak, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on last day attended the controversial cultural festival organised by Sri Sri Ravi Shanker’s Art of Living foundation held at the banks of river Yamuna in national capital. While speaking in the function, PM Modi openly appreciated the charitable organisation for creating a platform to showcase our cultural supremacy. Earlier, around three days before, the President’s office announced that the country’s supremo would not attend the function. And, the unexpected move invited tremendous speculations about the event. It is learned that several noted foreign leaders including Nepal Vice-President have attended the cultural festival. Interestingly, a senior minister of the NDA government claims that even if the cultural festival causes any negative impact on the environment, there will be a remedy to that problem. It can be considered as a retorting statement to the NGT verdict over the controversial World Cultural Festival. Recently, National Green Tribunal imposed a huge fine on the Art of Living foundation for organising a program in the flood plains of river Yamuna. Followed by that, AOL’s founder Sri Sri Ravi Shanker strongly opposed the order and denied to pay the fine. Anyway, later, he backed from his rigid attitude and paid around twenty-five lakh rupees as the NGT provided some relaxation on the payment. Meanwhile, the grand old party of the country, Congress, strongly criticized the AOL foundation and its cultural festival. Surprisingly, CPM strongly backs the congress’s move to oppose the festival; and its general secretory on last day reportedly raised strong arguments against the cultural festival.

Vignesh

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