NGT hearing on Ramlila plea disrupted by 2 men
Unruly scenes were witnessed during a hearing in the National Green Tribunal on Thursday on a plea to stop plans to organise a Ramlila in an East Delhi park, prompting the panel to call the police inside the court room.
As soon as the proceedings in the case began, two persons belonging to a religious group, called Ojasvi party, started interrupting the hearing and sought dismissal of the plea by the Janta Welfare Association opposing the Ramlila performance from October 12 at a park in Pandav Nagar.
“You sit down. Nobody is allowed to interrupt the case hearing. If you interrupt again, we will take action against you. We will not tolerate this indiscipline,” a bench headed by the NGT chairperson, Justice Swatanter Kumar, told the duo. As they continued to agitate demanding dismissal of the plea, the green panel chief asked the police to be called in. When a few constables walked in the court room, the two men retreated to their seats. The NGT bench made it clear that it was not concerned with any other activity, except the environment, and disposed of the plea asking the East Delhi Municipal Corporation ( EDMC) to take care of the trees and plants in the park.
“These are events of a regular nature. We can’t stop Ramlila. It is a public park and not your private property. We are here to protect environment. Don’t make an unnecessary issue out of everything. We are not concerned with anything besides environment and ecology,” the bench said.
The Janta Welfare Association in its plea had sought stopping of the Ramlila performance in the park.