BABA RAMDEV
Thousands of people from states like Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh were seen at the venue yesterday.
Today being Krishna Janmashtami and most of offices closed, it has to be seen whether the Delhiites come forward to support Ramdev as they did for Anna Hazare in August last year.
The yoga guru is expected to address the supporters later today.
Returning to Ramlila Maidan here where he was bundled out in a midnight police crackdown in June last year, Ramdev yesterday said if the government fail to indicate its course of action on these and other demands he would announce his future strategy on Saturday.
Ramdev’s second round of protest witnessed an expansion of his agenda from black money to Lokpal Bill, making CBI independent and a more transparent procedure for appointing Election Commissioners, CAG, CVC and CBI director.
Ramdev said he has no political agenda and was not keen on indefinite fast and protests.
“There will be no fast-unto-death. There is no indefinite fast. We will go without food and water for three days. I am giving a final warning to the government to take a decision on government within three days.
“After three days, let them (government) tell us what they are going to do. If they don’t, then we will announce the next course of action. If they cannot understand the voice of peace, then maybe we have to make them listen to the voice of revolution but without violence,” he said.
In the evening winding up the day’s proceedings, he said, if his suggestions on bringing back black money are accepted, then “petrol will be Rs 35 per litre” and there will be all- round fall in prices.
“But for this, you need an honest and courageous Prime Minister,” he said and declared that he was not campaigning to become the Prime Minister of the country.
The yoga guru’s fast comes a week after Anna Hazare and his team ended their protest fast against corruption at the Jantar Mantar here to demand the government bring in the Jan Lokpal Bill for creation of an ombudsman to check graft. “If our demands are not accepted, then there will be a language of revolt,” Ramdev told the thousands who had assembled at the sprawling grounds here.
Ramdev said the government would have to give in to the demand for a stringent Lokpal bill.
“The Lokpal bill should not be the government’s version which will be weak,” he added.
Ramdev said the three-day symbolic fast was part of the first phase of their protest and “If the government does not listen to our demands, I will announce our future strategy on Aug 12. We will not end our fast till our demands are met,” he asserted.
On the night of June 4-5, 2011, Delhi Police had swooped down on Ramdev’s sleeping followers, including women and children at Ramlila Maidan during his anti-corruption stir in order to evict them. One of his followers, Rajbala, died of injuries due to the police action.
Delhi Police has given the organisers permission to host 30,000 people a day. The yoga guru has been allowed to hold the ground till Aug 30.
