Baba Ramdev and at least 2000 supporters are still seated at a
stadium in Central Delhi, despite police orders to evacuate the venue,
where they were brought after they were arrested yesterday for marching
towards Parliament. The yoga guru has promised to disperse his camp at
the "makeshift jail" today.
Here are the 10 developments in this story:
- Though he was meant to end his six-day fast at 11 am, Baba Ramdev delivered a lengthy speech instead. He broke his fast around noon after he targeted the Congress and the Prime Minister for lacking the will to combat black money and repatriate crores of untaxed income secretly deposited abroad by Indians.
- "Mr Prime Minister, tomorrow is Independence Day. If you don't speak about black money and corruption (in address to the nation), then you are as guilty as those who are corrupt," he said. "We could have stopped the PM from unfurling the national flag tomorrow," he warned.
- "We will leave the stadium soon, but we are leaving because we have won, not because we have lost," the yoga icon said. "Congress hatao, desh bachao (remove the Congress to save the country)," he declared. He also asked the crowd to remember the Congress as the most corrupt party in the country.
- The police urged the crowd at 11 am to exit the stadium. Thousands booed. The police said that the venue is in a high-security zone and that with Independence Day tomorrow, the police needs to make arrangements in the area. Senior cops also said buses are waiting to move the protestors out of the stadium.
- Lawyer Ram Jethmalani shared the stage with Baba Ramdev today. Mr Jethmalani said that many cabinet ministers - and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi - have black money in bank accounts. "If you do as Baba Ramdev says, and vote out this government," he said, "I will ensure these ministers are in jail within a year."
- The Delhi Police is treading cautiously - it wants to avoid a repeat of last year when it cracked down at midnight on a camp held by Baba Ramdev; many people were injured.
- Sources in the police say that the yoga icon violated the terms he had agreed to when he sought permission to hold a protest camp in the capital.
- He was arrested on Monday afternoon as he tried to lead his supporters towards parliament. The police said he did not have permission for this march.
- While Baba Ramdev campaigns against black money, income tax officials are scrutinizing the financial details of the Patanjali Yoga Trust and Divya Yog Mandir Trust he runs, for alleged tax evasion.
- Politicians came out in support of Baba Ramdev
yesterday, isolating the Congress. At his camp on Monday morning, BJP
president Nitin Gadkari and Sharad Yadav provided a VIP touch. Arvind
Kejriwal of the recently disbanded Team Anna also showed his support. He
tweeted, "We support Swami Ramdev's agitation and issues raised by him.
Urge people to support his cause. But we caution him against political
parties who are expressing their support. They are neck deep in
corruption and their support is mere opportunism (sic)"
From NDTV
