No notice has been issued by NGT to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, says Art of Living foundation

The Art of Living foundation has said that neither their organisation nor Sri Sri Ravi Shankar have been given a contempt notice by the NGT. "No notice whatsoever has been issued by the NGT to AOL or Sri Sri. Media reports to the contrary are absolutely false and baseless," said the organisation.

No contempt notice has been issued; we would be happy if the case is discussed on its merits: Jaideep Nath, Art of Living Spokesperson pic.twitter.com/zb9nHiFIom

— ANI (@ANI_news) April 27, 2017

AOL also said that activist Manoj Misra was verbally reprimanded for going to the media before filing his application.

Earlier today there were reports which said that the National Green Tribunal has issued a contempt notice to the Art of Living foundation's Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on a plea against him for blaming the Centre and the panel for damaging Yamuna floodplains by allowing his NGO to hold a cultural extravaganza last year.

No contempt notice has been issued: @ArtofLiving Official Statement.
Read the full statement here - https://t.co/9z1BraZc1g pic.twitter.com/9VJrcPW7sh

— The Art of Living (@ArtofLiving) April 27, 2017

The plea filed by activist Manoj Misra has sought action against Ravi Shankar and said his remarks interfered with free and fair dispensation of justice.

In a statement published on the AOL's website, Ravi Shankar had blamed the government and the NGT for permitting AOL to hold the function and said his foundation had obtained all necessary permissions, including from the green panel, and the event could have been stopped in the beginning itself if the river was so "fragile and pure".

In the plea filed through advocates Ritwick Dutta and Rahul Choudhary, Misra said the AOL head was "in the habit" of making statements to "denigrate the dignity and status of this tribunal, which was an interference in the fair dispensation of justice", that is the bedrock of the rule of law.

With PTI inputs.