Uproar in RS over Sri Sri’s event, Oppn questions Army deployment

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Army deployment for the event was from security point of view.

Rajya Sabha witnessed pandemonium on Wednesday over Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's World Culture Festival. The opposition demanded answers on why the army was roped in for a private function.

The issue was raised by JD-U leader Sharad Yadav and other members during Zero Hour. Opposition MPs stormed into the Well of the House and raised slogans.

Here are the live updates:

11:55 pm: Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said he was concerned about the event as Delhi Police had also raised security concerns.

11:40 am: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley lashed out at the Opposition saying that if a matter is pending with Tribunal, ordinarily the chair doesn't allow the issue to be raised in the House. 11:35 am: Defending the event, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is committed towards protecting environment and it would be wrong to doubt his commitment towards nature.

On Army’s involvement, Naqvi said Army deployment was from security point of view.

11:20 am: CPI (M) leader Sitamram Yechury asked, “How can Indian Army assist in this”

The Delhi Police has raised serious security concerns over the fete being organised by the Art of Living foundation on the Yamuna floodplains.

A DCP rank officer, who inspected the venue on March 1 along with his team, in a report submitted to the Ministry of Urban Development, Art of Living, Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma raised serious question about the preparation and safety arrangements.

The report said that only one pontoon bridge is being prepared as opposed to seven, as proposed earlier, and the work on second bridge was still on. A pontoon bridge can at best be used by 15, 000 people in an hour, but the number of people expected to turn up for the event is around 2.5 to three lakh people, the report added.

Meanwhile, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) will today continue to hear the plea seeking to stop construction of temporary structure on the Yamuna floodplains for the event.

Earlier, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar had defended the event, saying not a single tree has been cut and the ecological stability has been maintained during the preparations.

The World Culture Festival is scheduled to be held from March 11 to 13.

According to reports the event will feature yoga and meditation sessions, peace prayers and traditional cultural performances from around the world.