Art of Living Calls NGT Expert Panel Report a ‘Scientific Fraud’

NGT has been accused of carrying out a superficial inspection aimed at sullying the image of the AOL foundation.

Art of Living has questioned the the evidence submitted by the NGT committee. (Photo: The Quint)

Cornered by allegations of causing irreversible damage to the Yamuna river bed and its surrounding floodplain with the World Culture Festival preparations, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living Foundation has come out all guns blazing and claimed that the findings of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) expert panel are biased, unscientific, and lack credibility.

It has questioned the the evidence submitted by the committee, calling the whole investigation “nothing less than a scientific fraud”.

NGT’s committee of experts earlier in the day released a report which detailed how damage to Yamuna’s riverbed will limit the zone’s ability to control floods, recharge the city’s groundwater stores and support a diverse range of animal and plant life.

The committee observes that entire floodplain area used for the main event site i.e. between DND flyover and the Barapulla drain (on the right bank of river Yamuna) has been completely destroyed, not simply damaged. 

Committee of Experts

Also Read:
Art of Living ‘Completely Destroyed’ Floodplain, Experts Tell NGT
AOL Volunteers Argue with Activist at World Culture Festival Site

Attempt at Maligning Art of Living’s Image

The Art of Living Foundation in a strong rebuttal said that facts in the case point to the malafide intention of the NGT to malign the foundation run by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

Art of Living accused the NGT of carrying out a superficial inspection with a premeditated stance aimed at sullying the image of the foundation.

It referred to how the the committee reached a “random figure of Rs 120 crore” to be paid as compensation. This was however termed as an “inadvertent mistake” later in a letter sent to the NGT by Shashi Shekhar, the Chairman of the Expert Committee.

Art of Living further went on to claim that the report submitted on Wednesday was aimed at justifying the committee’s initial conclusion.

The tribunal should have appointed an independent committee of experts as we had asked to do this investigation. This report is absolutely baseless and has no credibility. How can such a report be accepted?

Art of Living

Clear Case of Bias

Further, Art of Living has claimed bias in the investigation by referring to committee member, Prof Brij Gopal’s alleged close connections with the petitioner, Manoj Mishra.

The recent report shows no application of mind. There is no reasoning that supports the conclusions they have seem to have come to. There is no analysis, no in-depth investigation nor any test reports to support these conclusions. Once again the conclusions of their report is merely the opinion of the expert committee.

Read the full statement below: