Row Over Assam Chief Minister, Sadhguru’s Kaziranga Park Night Safari
Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam, has refuted claims made by two activists that he, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, and Tourism Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah breached the law by going on a night safari in Kaziranga National Park.
According to two activists in Assam, Sadhguru, Mr. Sarma, and Mr. Baruah entered the national park on Saturday well after the scheduled visit time, which is where the Indian one-horned rhino lives. The activists said that in order to conserve the animals and preserve their natural environment, the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 prohibits safari tours inside national parks after a designated hour.
Videos posted to social media and broadcast on local channels show Mr. Sarma, Mr. Baruah, and Sadhguru driving an open safari SUV.
“There is no violation. According to the wildlife law, the warden can give permission to enter a protected area even at night. No law stops people from entering at night. Yesterday, we had the formal opening of the park for this season and now that Sadhguru and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar had arrived, and since they have lakhs of followers, this time we expect the tourist season will be very good for Kaziranga,” Mr Sarma told reporters.
According to MK Yadava, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests for Assam, the Chief Minister and Sadhguru were invited by the forest department. “It is therefore incorrect to claim that Sadhguru and our Chief Minister entered the park and took a safari in the middle of the night. We had made all the arrangements and there was no way we could change our minds because it was becoming dark “explained he.
The government had invited him, according to a statement from the Isha Foundation, which belongs to Sadhguru. We feel that the administration obtained the essential permits for this unique occasion.
Action should be taken against them in accordance with the Wildlife Protection Act, according to activists Soneswar Narah and Prabin Pegu, who made the complaint to the Golaghat district police.
Picture Courtesy: Google/images are subject to copyright
