Defiant Baba Ramdev vows to return to Delhi, continue campaign

Defiant Baba Ramdev vows to return to Delhi, continue campaign
Baba Ramdev was back in his saffron attire, hours after he was evicted from the Ramlila Ground in Delhi during a late night crackdown by the government. But unlike during the day when he turned emotional while addressing the media, a determined Ramdev this time minced no words, declaring that his fast against corruption will continue.
"We will return to Delhi with the same agenda, with the same zeal and vigour. First thing is that today evening, we will tell you the location, either in Delhi or near Delhi. We will assemble...We will rally all over the nation, hold fast and dharnas; we will go to each house and tell people about government's action," he said while addressing a press conference at his ashram in Haridwar.

Launching a scathing attack on the government for the police action at his camp, Ramdev said, "The government has been ruthless towards women, children, we still don't know who has been thrown where? The government tried to suppress peaceful protests. One of our workers, Rajbala, is very serious; she will probably not make it. We have got a list of over a 100 people who are injured, like Ajay Arya whose both legs are broken; he can't even be operated upon. There are thousands like them who did nothing wrong. This is a huge blemish on the government." NDTV has the report

8:30 pm: Fast against corruption hasn't ended: Ramdev
A visibly emotional Baba Ramdev on Sunday accused the central government of betraying him and trying to kill him. Baba Ramdev upon reaching his ashram in the pilgrim city of Haridwar, after being evicted from Delhi said that his fast against corruption has not ended.

Ramdev alleged that the police crackdown was a plan to kill him and that is the reason why he had to hide. "The police were firing bullets. I was hiding there because police had planned to kill me," said Ramdev.

In the police crackdown, many were injured and Ramdev said that one of his woman supporters was paralysed in the brutality and her condition was still critical. "One of our woman supporters is paralysed in police brutality she is in ICU," said Ramdev.

Ramdev also rubbished the Delhi police statement regarding a terror alert at Ramlila grounds saying that it was a lie and if it were true then the government should have informed him.

8:00 pm: Hazare to fast again, flays attack on Ramdev

Gandhian activist Anna Hazare, who had gone on a hunger strike in April, Sunday said he would undertake a day's fast Wednesday to put pressure on the government to act against corruption.

'We have decided that we will organise a day's fast on June 8,' Hazare told a news conference and urged Indians across the country to follow suit.

'Wherever you may be, you may stage a fast. And pray to god to give wisdom to this government.'

Hazare, whose five-day fast in April forced the government to set up a panel to draft a Lokpal bill, also denounced the police crackdown on yoga guru Ramdev and the eviction of thousands of his supporters.

7:30 pm: Ramdev's supporters created chaos: Delhi Police

Refuting allegations that it baton charged thousands of Baba Ramdev's followers to evict them from the Ramlila Ground in a post-midnight raid, the Delhi Police Sunday said that the yoga guru's supporters were responsible for the entire chaos.

'We used tear gas after Ramdev's supporters pelted bricks, which they had stacked, and when they attacked us with iron rods, fire extinguishers and what appeared to be baseball bats. This was due to Baba Ramdev,' Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Dharmendra Kumar said.

When asked how the bricks and iron rods were present inside the premises, Kumar said: 'The supporters already had them.' 'There was no lathi-charge. The whole media was there, not even one has shown the visuals of a lathi-charge. And the allegation that women were manhandled is also false. We had a huge number of women police personnel, we asked them to handle them,' he said.

7:00 pm: BJP attacks Digvijay for calling Baba Ramdev ''thug''
Madhya Pradesh BJP today attacked Digvijay Singh for calling Baba Ramdev a ''thug'' (humbug) and said the Congress leader had lost decency of words and language.

A statement issued here by BJP co-spokesperson Umesh Sharma said that the All India Congress Committee General Secretary Digvijay Singh is used to making derogatory and provoking statements which should be condemned by the society.

He described Singh''s habit of making such statements as "verbal violence" and criticised the former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh saying that his statements are aimed at drawing attention and creating anger in the society.

6:15 pm: Bollywood slams crackdown on Baba Ramdev
The film industry might have a split opinion on Baba Ramdev''s cause but many Bollywood names have criticised the police swoop-in on the yoga guru''s hunger strike, saying that everyone has the right to protest.

Actress Raveena Tandon posted on Twitter, "This country gives everyone the Right to protest! remember? If murderers, terrorists are invited 2 join politics, why not a island owning baba?? (sic)"

"It is shocking to see how police and authorities have behaved with the crowds at Ramlila Maidan. It is unfair and undemocratic. SHAME," Anupam Kher wrote on the microblogging site.

6:00 pm: BJP blames PM, Sonia for police crackdown on Ramdev supporters

Dubbing the police action on "peaceful and unarmed" people at Baba Ramdev''s hunger strike as a "shameful" chapter in India''s democracy, BJP today accused Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi of ordering the crackdown.

The party announced it would hold protests across the country against corruption and "police brutality" against Ramdev and his followers.

"The incident that took place yesterday at midnight at the Ramlila ground is one that has blemished democracy. Those people were protesting against corruption and black money through democratic means. But Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi ordered the atrocities on these people," BJP President Nitin Gadkari said in Lucknow. Read more

5:15 pm: Ramdev broke promise, was rousing passions: Government

Facing criticism for cracking down on Baba Ramdev, the government Sunday said that it was forced to whisk away the yoga guru as he 'had gone back on his promise' of calling off his fast, and accused him of rousing passions and acting on the behest of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Soon after the forced dispersal of Ramdev and thousands of his supporters from the Delhi's Ramlila Ground after midnight Saturday, the government said that Ramdev was given an assurance on his demands against corruption and black money.

'The government told him that anything doable will be done immediately. Anything not doable cannot be done. If despite all assurances, there is government bashing, only to rouse passions, only to spread disaffection among people, then people expect the government to take action,' Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said in Chandigarh. Full story

4:30 pm: Government wanted to kill me: Ramdev

Reaching his ashram after being forcefully evicted from Delhi's Ramlila Ground in a midnight police raid, a visibly shaken Baba Ramdev Sunday accused the government of plotting against him and trying to get him killed. 'They wanted to kidnap me and kill me, or send me somewhere,' the yoga guru said at a press conference.

He termed the police action inhuman and barbaric. 'Yesterday at the Ramlila maidan, about 1 lakh people felt the force of the police. The scenario was hurtful and barbaric,' he said.

'My fast has not ended,' he said about the hunger strike against corruption which he had launched at the Ramlila Ground Saturday morning but which was halted by the late night police action. More

3: 40 pm: Intelligence of a threat to Ramdev: Delhi policeDelhi police said they took steps to end Baba Ramdeve's hunger strike because they got intelligence inputs that there was a threat to Baba Ramdev's life.
3: 35 pm: Delhi police clarify the crackdownWhen the police went on the pandal to detain Baba Ramdev, he avoided the police and instead went into the crowd. There was no lathicharge. Tear gas had to be used as the crowd was getting unruly, hinting that Ramdev's supporters launched premeditated attacks.
3: 10 pm: Naveen Patnaik, Nitish Kumar slam UPA govtThe Chief Ministers of Orissa and Bihar have come out strongly against the government action against Baba Ramdev. Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the action taken at the peaceful meeting was "shocking, draconian and undemocratic". Read more

Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar slammed UPA government for its use of ''brute force'' to evict Ramdev and his supporters describing it as a ''major blow to democracy''. "The Centre owes an explanation on the issue," he told reporters. More here

2: 55 pm: Mayawati condemns police action on Ramdev, wants SC probeCondemning police action against Baba Ramdev and his supporters "in strongest terms", Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BSP supremo Mayawati today requested the Supreme Court to order a probe as "justice cannot be expected from the Centre" in the issue.

Mayawati termed the crackdown at the Ram Lila Maidan as "inhuman", "undemocratic" and "condemnable". More here
2: 42 pm: Govt had good intentions: SahaiSahai: We did not go to the airport to receive Baba Ramdev, but to clarify certain issues. The understanding with Ramdev was that he would call off the hunger strike.

2: 30 pm: Ramdev went back on his word: Subodh SahaiUnion Minister Subodh Kant Sahai holds a press conference to clear the government's stand on the issue. He said all meetings with Ramdev were transparent and he had committed to end the fast by 4pm on Saturday. He adds that the govt tried its best to avoid any confrontation.

2: 00 pm: Patkar decries Ramdev's forceful removalActivist Medha Patkar, who had initially termed Baba Ramdev''s agitation against corruption as an "expensive" one, today decried the forceful removal of his supporters from their protest site as "undemocratic".

A statement by Patkar, who is part of civil society group National Alliance of People''s Movements (NAPM), said that the group condemned the "sudden and unwarranted" attack on peaceful protesters at Ramlila Maidan. More here

1: 40 pm: Sonia Gandhi responsible: RamdevRamdev: If anything happens to me, Sonia Gandhi should be held responsible.

1: 30 pm: Police bans Ramdev from entering Delhi for 15 daysThe Delhi police has banned Baba from entering Delhi for the next 15 days and justified its action saying the organisers did not restrict themselves to a yoga camp as orginally permitted but resorted to a political agitation and made provocative speeches. More here
1: 25 pm: I'm not a criminal: RamdevRamdev: Speaking about black money and corruption is not a crime.
1: 20 pm: Consent letter was forced: RamdevRamdev:  The govt was pressurizing me to end my hunger strike. I was forced to sign the consent letter. All demands, except for the black money, was met.
1: 15 pm: My movement not political: RamdevRamdev said the eviction was barbaric and despite his pleas, the police didn't spare women and children. He also added that his movement is not politically motivated as is rumoured.
1: 10 pm: Govt promised an ordinance: RamdevRamdev: Government gave false assurances of agreeing to the demands and then backtracked on its word.
1: 05 pm: Baba says his hunger strike will continueRamdev: I will continue my fight against corruption. I faced such atrocity for the first time in my life.
1: 00 pm:  Ramdev addresses media from HaridwarRamdev: Last night's incident was a black movement for me.  Innocent people, including children beaten and dragged in front of my eyes.

12: 36 pm: Sushma Swaraj hold a press conferenceAddressing the media, BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said the crackdown on supporters could prove fatal to some of the injured. She tweets, " There is a lady Rajbala from Gurgaon in the ICU. She was brutally beaten on her back. Her spine is fractured. She is paralysed for life".
12: 35 pm: BJP demands apology from PM, Sonia over crackdown on RamdevThe BJP condemning the police crackdown on yoga guru Baba Ramdev's fast-unto-death protest against corruption, said the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, and Congress President Sonia Gandhi should apologise to the nation.

BJP President Nitin Gandkari said the crackdown on Ramdev and his supporters was reminiscent of the emergency days, and announced that the party will hold a 24-hour stir across the nation to protest it.

"The crackdown by police came on the orders of the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi. We strongly condemn it...The Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi must apologise to the people," he told reporters in Lucknow. More here
12: 25 pm: Ramdev politicized the whole issue, says SibalUnion Human Resource and Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal justifying the government's stand and said Baba Ramdev politicized the whole issue. "He had promised only for yoga and the crowd would not exceed 5,000. But around 50,000 persons were present. We had accepted all his demands in written. But Ramdev did not keep up his promise and politicized the issue. He cheated all his supporters,"  he said.

"Baba turned his yoga session into a political stage. Now, it's clear that Ramdev is the another face of RSS," he added. More here
12: 10 pm: CPI comes down heavily on Government on Ramdev agitationCPI came down heavily on the UPA Government for not taking political parties and Parliament into confidence while dealing with agitations by Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev against corruption and accused it of "undermining" democratic process.

Party National Secretary D Raja asked why the Government did not act against Ramdev's agitation when it was clear from "the beginning that right-wing organistaions like RSS were involved in the protest." More here
11: 50 am: Delhi police registers a  case or rioting.
Reports say the govt feared more people might join Ramdev and that any delay in taking action against him would only prompt him to make more demands.
11: 40 am: Ramdev reaches Haridwar  

11: 20 am: Advani slams the UPA govtSenior BJP leader LK Advani addresses the media and says this move by the government reminds him of the Jallianwala Bagh incident. Demanding a  JPC into all scams, he said the crackdown is a political turing point, just like the emergency. The BJP also accuses the Congress of evading the black money issue.

11: 18 am: Team Anna condemns Govt.'s crackdown on Ramdev
Former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan and former Supreme Court Judge N. Santosh Hegde, who are part of the Jan Lokpal Bill on Sunday condemned the government's crackdown on yoga guru Baba Ramdev's fast-unto-death protest against corruption at the Ramlila ground here, saying the government should resign.

"The government should resign and a caretaker government should take over. Till yesterday the government gave an impression that they were sending emissaries. It is very shocking and the action should be condemned by one and all. People who are supporting corruption are raising the old bogey of RSS and their own ministers are not giving importance," said Bhushan. More here
11: 05 am: Modi, Mulayam back RamdevSamajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh says calling Baba Ramdev a thug is unfair. He was responding to  senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's comment that Ramdev's activities should be investigated and he's nothing short of of "thug". Meanwhile, Gujarat CM Narendra Modi says this is the beginning of the end of the UPA govt.

10: 50 am: Ramdev didn't keep his promise:  SibalUnion Minister Kapil Sibal said the crackdown at the Ramlila maidan was justified. He said Ramdev went back on his word to end the fast. Sibal said Ramdev was given permission for yoga shivir and that yogis shouldn't teach political asanas.
10: 45 am: Ramdev arrives in Dehradun
Baba Ramdev lands in Dehradun. He is being escorted to his ashram in Haridwar. Baba Ramdev was flown from Delhi by a special plane. Ramdev, who was initially taken to an undisclosed destination from the protest site, was put into an aircraft by Delhi Police from the Palam Airport this morning, officials said.


10: 20 am: BJP to go on satyagraha across the country
BJP president Nitin Gadkari says the party will go on  a satyagraha at Raj Ghat this evening at 7. He said this is an attack on democracy and that the UPA has lost all rights to rule. He also said that it was an attempt to impose another emergency in the country.
10: 00 am: Digvijay justifies police action; says Ramdev is ''fraud''
Unfazed by attack from various quarters, Congress today justified the midnight crackdown on Baba Ramdev''s fast against corruption and accused him of "inciting people" despite striking a deal with the government for ending his protest.

Terming the yoga guru as a "fraud", AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh also demanded an inquiry into the "thousands of crores of rupees" of property owned by Ramdev. More here

9: 45 am: Hegde disappointed, calls police action inhuman
Lokpal draft panelist and Karnataka Lokayukta chief Santosh Hegde tells CNN IBN he's disappointed by the way the Delhi police swooped down on Baba Ramdev and his supporters. Watch the video here

9: 30 am: Ramdev being taken to Hardwar: Pillai
Home Secretary G.K. Pillai Sunday said yoga guru Baba Ramdev was being taken to his ashram in Hardwar after police in a midnight action quelled his mass hunger strike and dispersed thousands of his followers. 'He is being taken to his ashram in Hardwar. He will be there by lunch time,' said Pillai. More here

8: 45 am: 30 injured in police crackdown to end Ramdev's protest
Some 30 people were injured in a pre-dawn police crackdown to end yogaguru Baba Ramdev's anti-corruption hunger strike at Ramlila Ground in the capital, officials in a hospital said. A medical officer of the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital (LNJP)hospital told IANS that some 30 mildly injured people were brought there. More here

8: 30 am: Ramdev dares government to arrest him with warrant
Baba Ramdev, whose indefinite fast was ended abruptly by Delhi Police in a mid-night swoop, today challenged the government to arrest him with a proper warrant and condemned the "excesses" on his followers.

Speaking to a TV channel from an undisclosed location, he termed the police operation at Ramlila Maidan, venue of his agitation, as unfortunate. More here

8: 15 am: Midnight police swoop on Baba Ramdev, detention ends protest With talks breaking down, police swooped down on Baba Ramdev a little past midnight and detained him after firing tear gas shells and resorting to lathicharge on his supporters to end his day-old indefinite hunger strike on black money issue. More here