Twitter weighs in on AoL controversy -Governance Now

Twitter weighs in on AoL controversy

Criticisms range from environmental issues to guests invited

GN Bureau | March 11, 2016

#World Culture Festival ##OccupyYamuna #Delhi #Art of Living #Environment #NGT #Religion #Yamuna #Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The three-day World Culture Festival has begun on the flood plains of the Yamuna. The controversies surrounding the event failed to upset the participants and spectators who have gathered at the venue.

However, Twitter decided to weigh in on the environmental degradation caused by the construction for the event on the river plains.

Art of denying, Art of complaining, Art of Polluting , Art of not paying fine, Art of dramatizing all comes under Art of Living only.
— $ir $ri $ri Magal (@jhunjhunwala) March 11, 2016

Some were not happy with the guest list of the festival.

Can't believe @SriSri invited Robert Mugabe as Guest of Honour for World Culture Festival. Zimbabwe's dictator who has murdered THOUSANDS!!!
— Mihir Bijur (@MihirBijur) March 10, 2016

Others criticised Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s refusal to pay the fine imposed on his foundation by the national green tribunal and took note of the alleged unsafe structure.

If Art of Living feels NGT fine is wrong, it can appeal. Disobedience will denude festival of ethics. And what if others too follow suit?
— Ashok Khemka, IAS (@AshokKhemka_IAS) March 11, 2016

Separate stages for VVIPs; unsafe structures; unhappy farmers; Yamuna in more distress; spirituality divorced from ecology. Art of Living?!
— Shoma Chaudhury (@ShomaChaudhury) March 11, 2016

Union urban development minister defended the event.

World Culture Festival by Art of Living will bring glory to India. let's not politicise this.
— M Venkaiah Naidu (@MVenkaiahNaidu) March 11, 2016

Still others took a dig at AoL which had defended itself as having tremendous green credentials

Since Art of Living have apparently made lots of contribution to environ after Big Bash, I'll call them to clean up my neighbourhood!
— Saba Naqvi (@_sabanaqvi) March 9, 2016

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