Strongly condemning the police action against yoga guru Baba Ramdev, civil rights activist Anna Hazare termed it as "strangulation of democracy" and said civil society will launch protests throughout the country to "teach the government a lesson"
After remaining underground for three days, Baba Ramdev's close aide Acharya Balakrishna on Tuesday surfaced in Haridwar rejecting the charge that he had procured a forged Indian passport.
A day after stating that the prime minister and Chief Justice of India should not be brought under the ambit of the proposed Lokpal Bill, Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev on Wednesday did a volte-face saying he did not make such a statement.
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.
Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Monday said corruption is a kind of violence and yoga guru Ramdev's movement is helpful in reminding people and leaders of the country that something should be done to weed it out.
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on dismissed suggestions of a rift with the Anna Hazare-led team and said he has asked his supporters to join the day-long fast by the social activist and his aides in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday went the extra mile to persuade yoga guru Baba Ramdev not to go ahead with his hunger strike from June 4, promising him to find a "practical and pragmatic" solution to tackle the issue of corruption.
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Tuesday said the Congress was the only political party which had problems with his crusade against corruption.
Chanting Bharat mata ki jai is an affirmation of citizens' faith in their country, their motherland and if a religion preached otherwise, it was against national interest, he said.
"Mayawati has indulged in self-glorification by receiving garlands made of currency notes in utter disregard to the condition of majority of her political constituency -- the Dalits," Ramdev told media persons in Gangtok.
Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Saturday alleged that there was a "well-orchestrated conspiracy" by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak sangh behind the ink attack on yoga guru Ramdev. He further claimed that the NGO activist who carried out the attack was "anti-Congress" and has links with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev's social outfit, the Bharat Swabhiman Trust, has initiated a training programme for young volunteers from across the nation to campaign against 'corrupt and tainted' political leaders during the upcoming five-state assembly polls
The Congress has launched a campaign to counter the anti-graft movement by Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev and accused a section of civil society of trying to weaken democratic institutions.
Asked why Congress had not reacted to Ramdev's call on black money, Congress media department chief Janardhan Dwivedi said, "It is true that we did not say anything as we cannot speak their language or behave like them. And now it is out in the open how politics is being done in a different guise."
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.
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.
Accusing the government of cheating civil right activists on the issue of Lokpal Bill, Anna Hazare on Thursday extended his support to yoga guru Ramdev's fast against corruption.
Many Dharmagurus attended the Shubh Ashirwad ceremony.
The midnight crackdown on Ramdev and his followers at the Ramlila ground during their protest against corruption was a result of "irresponsible" behaviour of the yoga guru's running away from the venue and leaving his supporters who resorted to unprovoked violence, Delhi Police told the Supreme Court on Monday.
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?"
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Sunday gave a clean chit to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on corruption issues saying, "he has not done anything wrong".
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Monday said he would take a call on contesting the 2014 Lok Sabha elections depending upon the success of his agitation scheduled next month in Delhi.
The Bombay high court has directed Patanjali Ayurved to deposit Rs 50 lakh for alleged breach of the HC's interim order restraining it from selling its camphor products, in relation to a trademark infringement case filed by another company.
Dominic Xavier offers his take on the controversy featuring Baba Ramdev and the Indian Medical Association.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday said it will hold peaceful protests across the country against the crackdown on Baba Ramdev's agitation and meet President Pratibha Patil to demand convening of a special session of Parliament to discuss the issue.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders -- LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Nitin Gadkari -- spent the night at Delhi's Rajghat in protest against the government's controversial handling of Baba Ramdev and his fast against corruption.
Neerja Chowdhury explains why the government was soft where it could have been tough. And tough where it could have demonstrated more patience
Neerja Chowdhury explains why the government was soft where it could have been tough. And tough where it could have demonstrated more patience
Indian students in the United States have condemned the police action against yoga guru Baba Ramdev and his supporters in New Delhi, saying the government has lost "moral authority" and people's faith.
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.
The government and Baba Ramdev have been unable to come to a negotiated settlement over the Baba's indefinite fast at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan. But the real story is the widening gulf between the Sonia Gandhi-led Congress party and the Dr Manmohan Singh led United Progressive Alliance government which has now come out almost in the open. In an interesting development, Sonia Gandhi called a meeting of senior leaders at her residence at 6.30 pm on Saturday.
Alleging that the Congress government at the Centre was cheating Anna Hazare on the Lokpal Bill issue, Baba Ramdev on Tuesday said that he would campaign against the parties opposing to bring back the black money stashed away in foreign banks.
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 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."
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.
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.
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
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