Kaziranga Night Safari row: Police complaint against Himanta Biswa Sarma and Sadhguru, CM says nothing illegal

A police complaint was filed on September 25 against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev for allegedly violating the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Besides, Assam CM and Sadhguru, the police complaint filed in Bokakhat Police station, also included the name of Assam Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah.

In the complaint, a group of citizens demanded legal action against Assam CM and his ministerial colleague, who undertook a night safari in the Kaziranga National Park, while Sadhguru was driving a gypsy. The spiritual leader was invited as a guest at the ongoing three-day brainstorming session, ‘Chintan Shivir’, organized by the state government at the national park.

“Additionally, we demand that Sadhguru, who sat on the driver's seat, flashing the car headlights, and drove through the forest, violated the visitors' time fixed for the tourists, be booked under the purview of the Act,” mentioned the complaint.

Citing the historical contexts for the controversy surrounding the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and the way the indigenous people of Kaziranga have donated their lands for the protection of wildlife, the citizens demanded strict legal action against Assam CM and his team for negating the rules mentioned in the Act.

“Even after this, the forest department of Kaziranga and the Assam government snatched away the lives of many local people in the name of the controversial Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. In the absence of a progressive compensation policy today, the local population has not yet received compensation for the lost wealth,” the complainants alleged.

They also added that Chief Minister Sarma's contribution to Kaziranga was insignificant compared to the huge sacrifices made by the people. “The law is equal for all, so we demand that Sarma and his party be brought under the purview of the said law,” read the complaint.

Sarma, however, dismissed these allegations saying that there was no violation of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. “We can allow any visitor at any time as per the Wildlife Act. Sadhguru came on our invitation,” Sarma told India Today NE.

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