How much money did you raise, High Court asks Sadhguru

It’s known that the Isha Foundation of the eminent spiritual exponent Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev has been raising funds for its Cauvery Calling campaign.  The campaign is about planting 1.60 crore saplings in the Cauvery basin to help farmers practice agroforestry.  For each sapling, Rs 42 has been sought to be raised.  

The Karnataka High Court has asked the Foundation to file an additional affidavit disclosing the amount it has collected so far.  The HC has said in an oral observation that Isha is not above law just because it’s a not-for-profit organization.  It said that any organization has to be authorized by either a state or the Central government to collect funds.

So far, Isha hasn’t given a proper statement.  It has only reiterated some facts related to the Cauvery Calling initiative.  “Online and digital contributions account for 99.6% of all contributions from 150 different countries and lakhs of individuals.  The Government of Karnataka has pitched in with a promise to distribute 73 lakhs saplings directly to farmers in 2020 to enable them to take up this exciting possibility of tree-based agriculture,” it said hours after the HC’s observations.