Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in UP on anti-graft drive

Spiritual leader and founder of Art of Living Shri Shri Ravi Shanker on Monday said a strong Lokpal Bill was needed to root out corruption in the country.

“On the issue of Lokpal Bill, my complete support is with Team Anna. Whosoever launches a campaign to root out corruption, I am with him,” Ravi Shanker told reporters here before embarking on his tour across Uttar Pradesh.

He alleged that an effort was being made to give a political colour to his ‘yatra’ and said it was not at all justified.

“I will speak against corruption and wherever I will go in the state, I will ask people to take a resolve neither to give nor accept bribe,” he said.

He said an awareness would be created among the people on the issue. Ravi Shanker said he would also ask people to give up addition to intoxicants, stop female foeiticide and work for establishing a violence-free and casteless society.

He said today politics and governance was being considered as a business.

Refuting charges that his organisation was one of rich people, he said it was running 185 schools across the country free of cost and one lakh instructors were teaching people pranayama. — PTI