Art of Living expresses displeasure over Chidambaram's remark

The Art of Living Foundation today expressed "displeasure" over what it described as "hasty and damaging" statement of Union home minister P Chidambaram on Sunday's shooting incident at its ashram here, over which conflicting versions have emerged.

"Without any basis, one cannot jump to conclusions that there are conflicting groups or there was a brawl. Such a statement from a person holding such a responsible position was unwarranted," the Foundation said.

"This has hurt the sentiments of millions of followers," Ashram administrator Narendra Lamba said in a statement here, three days after an unidentified gunman fired a shot at the convoy of the 54-year-old AOL founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who had escaped unhurt.

"We express our displeasure over the hasty and damaging
statement of Honourable Union home minister P Chidambaram,"
Lamba said.

Chidambaram had stated that Ravi Shankar "may not" have  been the target and the incident could be the result of a dispute between two of his disciples.

Ravi Shankar had said that the incident "cannot be brushed
off as some personal enmity and I am very hurt at such
reports."

Karnataka police had described it as an 'incident' and  not an attack, over which the spiritual guru had expressed his displeasure saying the police cannot absolve itself of its
responsibility by taking it lightly and it has to be
investigated properly".