The first step for the government to get out of this mess is to convince the public that they have taken note of its anger and are serious about dealing with this issue, suggests B raman
Reacting sharply to Sunday's early morning arrest of Baba Ramdev from Ramlila grounds in New Delhi, Bhartiya Janata Party spokesman Prakash Javadekar condemned the government's move and described it as highly barbaric act.
Baba Ramdev on Saturday took a two-hour break from the protest, stating he had to discuss issues with government representatives on his demands for bringing back black money stashed away abroad and end corruption
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is under attack from the Shiv Sena again, this time for his criticism of yoga guru Baba Ramdev's proposed hunger strike against corruption.
A kind of politics of fear has crept into the whole drama surrounding yoga guru Baba Ramdev's threat of going on an indefinite fast from Saturday principally against black money stashed abroad, reports Sahim Salim.
Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan on Thursday said that Baba Ramdev's proposed hunger strike against corruption and repatriation of black money stashed in foreign banks, is politically motivated and he would not support the agitation.
Amidst speculation on whether he will go ahead with his hunger strike, Baba Ramdev cancelled a press conference scheduled on Thursday evening for a "serious dialogue" with the government.
Worried over Baba Ramdev's indefinite fast from Saturday, the government on Wednesday took an extraordinary step to woo him by deputing Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and three other senior ministers to the airport for talks but he appeared not to relent on his plans.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has received the central government's formal approval to conduct this year's Indian Premier League in the UAE, IPL chairman Brijesh Patel said on Monday. The IPL will be held in the UAE from September 19 to November 10 in three cities -- Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
A youth, who had allegedly created a fake Facebook account in the name of Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, had been arrested, police said.
Devinder Sharma, distinguished food security expert who has been with the NGO India Against Corruption since its inception, gives excusive insights into the making of the Jantar Mantar hunger strike and the people's outbursts that followed.
Nirmohi Akhara, the main plaintiff in the Ayodhya title suit, wants the mediation of former President APJ Abdul Kalam, Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoban and the national organisation of Muslim ulemas-- Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind -- along with Hindu religious leaders like Baba Ramdev, Shri Shri Ravi Shankar and Murari Bapu.
Aiming to "awaken people about corruption and black money", Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Tuesday started the 1,00,000-km-long Bharat Swambiman Yatra from Jhansi. "My yatra, 2012 Mahasangram, will awaken people in the entire country on the issue of black money and corruption. The Mahasangram, which started from the land of Veerangana Rani Lakshmi Bai, will reach Parliament one day," he said on the first day of the yatra.
Delhi Police on Friday justified in the Supreme Court its midnight crackdown on yoga guru Baba Ramdev and his supporters protesting against corruption and black money at the Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi, saying permission had been given only to hold a yoga camp.
The whole approach of the civil society activists is legalistic, with an unbounded faith in laws as cure for all. In India we have a plethora of laws but very little law and order. It is essential that any solution for corruption must involve political scientists, management experts, administrators in order to work out laws and institutions that work, says Colonel Anil Athale (retd)
Stepping up its attack on Baba Ramdev and Anna Hazare-led civil society, Congress on Wednseday dubbed the yoga guru as a 'king of black money' and Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde as a 'Bharatiya Janata Party man'.
Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravishankar, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Mohan Bhagwat and thousands of supporters in Indian and overseas appealed to yoga guru Ramdev to end his fast against black money corruption due to his falling health.
Even as the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government is at loggerhead with yoga guru Baba Ramdev over the latter's tirade against corruption and black money in foreign banks, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has remembered that he had once ordered allotment of a plot of land to the yoga guru for his institution in Guwahati.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday sought to distance itself from yoga guru Baba Ramdev's plan to set up a force as part of his anti-corruption crusade, saying the party never propagates violence. "We will not support anything like that as the party never propagates violence," BJP national spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said. He said BJP would extend moral support to anybody who will come forward to fight corruption.
Addressing media persons, Soni said: "India is a proud nation. Mahatma Gandhi uprooted the British empire through power of satyagraha from the Indian soil. Violence has no place in Indian society."
It was a protest of fear to say the least. Anna Hazare's supporters, who arrived at Rajghat in considerable numbers, were afraid. They were afraid of a repeat of the crackdown on Baba Ramdev's supporters which is still fresh on their minds. Sahim Salim reports
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday mounted an attack on the centre for police action on Baba Ramdev's peaceful protest at Ramlila ground in Delhi on Saturday night.
Arvind Kejriwal, member of the panel drafting the Lokpal bill, responds to criticism that civic society is trying to usurp democracy and also explains the need for stronger Lokpal bill to tackle corruption.
The Congress on Wednesday said yoga guru Baba Ramdev's call for an armed rebellion is a serious issue and hoped that the government will take appropriate action to uphold the Constitution and maintain law and order.
Baba Ramdev on Wednesday again took up the issue of police crackdown on his supporters, saying he would set up a 11,000-strong force to deal with police and anti-social elements attempting to disrupt his anti-corruption movement.
Like his mother Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi is also said to be worked up about Baba Ramdev and the manner in which the government handled the issue, which led to the Bharatiya Janata Party getting a handle with which to beat the government with.
Was Baba Ramdev's arrest justified or an over-reaction on the government's part? A Ganesh Nadar spoke to experts to find out their views on the development
With the government toughening its stand against Baba Ramdev, the yoga guru on Tuesday said he forgave Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for the crackdown on his agitation but history will not forgive him for the "political sin" he committed.
It was a battle of wits between the Delhi police and Baba Ramdev in the crackdown on protestors and the yoga guru on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. Sahim Salim reports
The National Commission for Women on Monday said it has sought a report from the Delhi Police on the midnight crackdown on Baba Ramdev's supporters at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan.
The Shiv Sena on Monday said it disapproved of fast as a political weapon, but argued that yoga guru Baba Ramdev was a citizen of India, and had every right to create a political space for himself.
Taking on the United Progressive Alliance government, which had forced him to leave Delhi in the wee hours of Sunday morning, Baba Ramdev said, "Sarkaar vikaas nahi, Ramdev ka vinaash chahti hain (The government doesn't want development; it wants the destruction of Ramdev).
Following his arrest, support for Baba Ramdev seems to pour in. While the Bharatiya Janata Party declared a 24-hour satyagrah, the Uttarakhand chief minister assured the Baba that he could continue his protest in the state if he wanted to. With the Left and Samajwadi Party joining in to criticise the UPA, th government seems isolated
The government and Baba Ramdev were on Friday locked in a standoff over his indefinite fast against black money leading to a blame game between the two sides. The yoga guru was in a tight corner after government released\\na letter from his aide that he would call off the agitation by mid-day.
Union Kapil Sibal and Subodh Kant Sahay, who were part of the delegation that had held talks Baba Ramdev held a joint press on Saturday evening where they announced that the yoga guru had told the he would calle off his fast against corruption. They also produced a letter written by Ramdev.
Member of Lokpal Bill Joint Drafting Committee Prasant Bhusan on Saturday said he was 'unhappy' at the presence of Sangh Parivar leader Sadhvi Ritambhara on the dais, where Baba Ramdev is on a hunger strike against black money, saying the platform should not be used by 'communal' forces."I am unhappy with the presence of Sadhvi Ritambhara. You cannot prevent anyone from supporting a cause but the platform should not be allowed to be used by communal forces," said Bhusan.
Back-channel talks are on between the government and Baba Ramdev to resolve the standoff in the wake of his going ahead with the indefinite hunger strike on corruption and other issues. Though there are no official meetings scheduled between the two sides, sources said, "Talks are one and it is not necessary to meet for holding a dialogue." They hoped something positive would come out of this exercise.
Justice N Santosh Hegde, a representative of the civil society in the joint drafting committee for the Lokpal Bill, on Saturday said that there is nothing wrong in the presence of Sangh Parivar leader Sadhvi Ritambhara on the dais where Baba Ramdev is on a hunger strike against black money. When informed that Ramdev had assured Anna Hazare on Friday that no communal element will be allowed to join his satyagraha, Hegde said, "Suppose the Muslim League comes out on Sunday?"
With the talks between him and the government failing to reach any breakthrough on Friday, the yoga guru held bhajans in the wee hours followed by yoga sessions, even as his associates kept announcing the participation of various religious leaders in the stir
A desperate government's efforts failed on Friday to achieve any breakthrough with Baba Ramdev deciding to go ahead with his indefinite fast in New Delhi from Saturday amidst indications that a compromise was likely in a day or two.
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