Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will attend the closing ceremony of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s World Culture Festival event currently being organised at the Yamuna banks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had attended the opening ceremony on Friday.
The Congress party has chosen to stay away from the event given Sri Sri’s links with the BJP.
A reliable source told www.jantakareporter.com, that Sri Sri had sought audience with both Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her daughter Priyanka Gandhi through an intermediary, but neither of them appeared ‘interested’ in meeting the spiritual guru.
Kejriwal has been criticised for his open support to an event organised by Art of Living and supported by the BJP-led government at the centre.
Many criticis felt that it was the Punjab election consideration that influenced his decision to throw his weight behind the guru.
However, there are indications that the Delhi chief minister joining hands with the prime minister to support Sri Sri, a divisive figure, has severely dented his popularity among the minorities, who have been left stunned by Kejriwal’s unflinching support for the event.
Congress’ PL Punia took a dig yesterday by saying that ‘Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s blessings had brought both Modi and Kejriwal together despite the ecological disaster on the floodplains of Yamuna.’
On Friday, the Delhi government’s tourism minister, Kapil Mishra attended the event and addressed the crowd. Like Kejriwal, Mishra has gone on record announcing his support for the event despite National Green Tribunal’s criticism.
The event had come under considerable criticism by the NGT, which imposed a fine of Rs 5 crore against AOL for violating environmental norms.