[Cauvery Calling] What is the harm in saying that State never approved the project? Karnataka High Court asks

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday pulled up the State government for failing to clarify whether or not Isha Foundation's Cauvery Calling is a State project..Earlier this week, the Court had orally asked the State government if it was willing to publish a notice informing the public that the project wasn't backed by the State..The Division Bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Vishwajith Shetty went on to issue rule nisi (conditional order) in the matter. .With regard to the interim prayer of restraining Isha Foundation from collecting money from public for the Cauvery Calling project, the Court opined that the same would not be possible as the Foundation does not fall under the ambit of State, as envisaged under Article 12 of the Constitution. .However, as the stand of the State is quite "inconsistent", the matter will have to be posted for final hearing, said the Bench. .In its order, the Bench further opined that it would give the State "one more opportunity to come clean in the matter" and therefore, granted time till January 30 to the State to file its response. .The Bench further opined that much judicial time is being spent on the matter, due to the State's laxity.."For a simple matter, we are spending so much time...What is the harm in saying you have never approved the project..This is so that they can't collect money from public in the name of the State government?", remarked the Bench. .The Bench added,."Isha Foundation is claiming that Cauvery Calling is a state government project and collecting money from the public. The public are misled.".As the hearing made headway, the Court has asked Isha Foundation whether it would be willing to publish a notice informing the public that Cauvery Calling is not a State government project. .Senior advocate Udaya Holla, appearing for the Foundation, said that he would take instructions on this aspect. .Recently, the Court had decided to treat the plea seeking directions to Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev's Isha Foundation to not collect funds from the public for its Cauvery Calling project, as a suo motu petition..The Court was prompted to pass the said direction after petitioner Advocate AV Amarnathan had sent a legal notice to the Discovery Channel asking it not to air a programme on the project..The petition filed by Amarnathan alleged that as part of the Cauvery Calling Project, Isha Foundation was planting saplings on government land and collecting money for the same from the public..The plea questions how the government can allow its land to be used for planting saplings by a private organisation, without studying the pros and cons of the project..The petitioner further argued that the “collection of money from public is disturbing” as the Foundation is expected to collect a massive ₹10,626 crore as donation..The matter will be next heard on February 2.