Did not break any law: Assam CM on late night visit to Kaziranga National Park with Sadhguru

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday defended the late night visit to the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) after two activists filed a police complaint seeking action against Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudeva of Isha Foundation, Sarma and Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah.

Sarma denied the allegations levelled in a about violation of Wildlife Protection Act, saying that the wildlife warden can permit anyone to enter Kaziranga, even at 2 am. "There is no violation. Wildlife warden can permit anyone to enter the park at night. Yesterday, we re-opned the park for tourists and Sadhguru and Pandit Ravishankar visited Kaziranga. Now we hope that since Sadhguru and Ravi Shankar has a large followers, more and more people will visit Kaziranga this time," Sarma told reporters.

After reopening the KNP for tourists on Saturday evening, Sadhguru drove a jeep inside the park in the evening with Sarma beside him. Assam Cabinet Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah and others also took the jeep safari at night, which according to the complaint, is a violation of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

The complaint was filed at Bokakhat police station in eastern Assam's Golaghat district by Soneswar Narah of Morongial gaon and Prabin Pegu, a resident of Balijan Adarsha Mishing Gaon in Golaghat.

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"The law should be equal for all. Jeep safari inside the park during the night is prohibited for tourists but Sadhguru and Sarma took the jeep ride at night. The relaxation of the rules for them would remain a threat for protection of Kaziranga and its animals. So the police should show its fundamental duties by arresting them for violation of the Wildlife Protection Act," Narah and Pegu, belonging to the Mishing tribe, said in the complaint.

"Action should be taken under the law to make them issue a public apology too," said the complaint.

The 1,300-sq km Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve is a tourist attraction and is the biggest home for the greater one-horned rhinos. The park has 2,613 rhinos at present. The park, however, remained closed for tourists since May due to the Monsoon.

(With inputs from DHNS)