Plea challenges NGT's jurisdiction in AOL case

The National Green Tribunal, on Tuesday, sought responses from the Centre and Delhi government on a plea, that interestingly challenged the Tribunal's own jurisdiction over religious and cultural events such as the Art of Living's World Culture Festival, that was held on Yamuna floodplains last March. The principal bench, headed by chairperson Swatanter Kumar, also sought a response from original petitioner Manoj Mishra, who alleged that the Art of Living's culture festival damaged the floodplains and wetlands.

Prajanya Chowdhry, Anil Kapoor and Anand Mathur, followers of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living, have filed the plea before NGT. The plea states citizens right to practice religious and cultural practices are enshrined in the constitution, and the World Culture Festival, celebrated Indian culture and was blessed by religious leaders.

"The Tribunal should decide its jurisdiction. The World Culture Festival was a religious and cultural festival and these events are covered under the country's constitution. We have a tradition of celebrating festivals such as Chhath Puja and Kumbh Mela on river banks. If we are talking of Yamuna floodplains, the Delhi-Noida direct flyway was also built on it," said Piyush Singh, the petitioner's lawyer.

The plea also sought to point out the superiority of other courts. "It is most respectfully submitted that power and authority to interpret provisions of the constitution only rests with the Supreme Court or various High Courts. It is submitted that National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, does not empower this Tribunal with the writ jurisdiction power of the High Courts and thus NGT is not competent to interpret the Constitution read along with any other law in operation," it said.

The matter will now be heard on February 22.