Chidambaram Warns Law Will Deal With Yoga Guru
Malini Nair | TNN
Haridwar: Dropping the yogic metaphor in his war on graft, Baba Ramdev on Wednesday declared he was cobbling together a militia of volunteers and exhorted youth from across the country— 20 from each district—to reach his ashram by mid-June for training in both shastra (arms) and shaastra (scriptures).
“Peetenge nahin par pittenge bhi nahin (we wouldn’t beat anyone but we won’t be beaten either),” declared the yoga guru at his morning satsang at the Patanjali Ashram.
The army of 11,000 volunteers he wants to collect will train in martial arts, traditional as well as karate, and learn to wield the lathi. He also dropped dark hints about this struggle being taken up by the young whether he is around to see it or not.
Home minister P Chidambaram reacted angrily to Ramdev’s plans, warning that the yoga guru was likely to run foul of the law. “Let him do that, the law would deal with that,” Chidambaram told reporters inNew Delhi
Ramdev’s call to retaliate with violence in case of another Ravan-lila at a potential Ramlila was greeted with eager cries of “Vande mataram” and “Bharat mata ki jai” by the mixed crowd of about 200 at the satsang, the usual crowd of yoga disciples, students, volunteers, and supporters.
Four days after he was bundled out by cops fromDelhi
The Baba who so far had appropriated the role of Vishwamitra for himself to justify a yogi taking to activism, brought Ram and Krishna as well into his allusions.
“Though I haven’t achieved even half of what they have,” he hastened to add. Ramdev has been at pains to defend his secular credentials, claiming he has followers among every religion. His trump card is the presence of a motley group calling itself the Bharat Muslim Manch whose banner demands the ouster of non-Indians from the country.
Incidentally, other spiritual organisations which are warily watching Ramdev’s agitation to decide on whether and how to support him may not react well to his call to arms.
Times View
Ramdev’s call to arms is deplorable. It doesn’t strengthen the movement against corruption and black money, it actually weakens it. If civil society has held the moral high ground on this issue, it has been to a large extent because of the peaceful nature of the protests. Anna Hazare, a Gandhian, has scrupulously adhered to non-violence. Ramdev’s proposal to raise a militia, even if it’s for self-defence, will only give ammunition to those opposed to stronger anti-corruption laws to attack the movement. They have been trying from the very beginning to portray the movement as reckless vigilantism by those who have no patience with democracy. Ramdev’s statement plays right into their hands. Anna Hazare and all others who value the gains made by the movement in a short time must distance themselves from such an irresponsible and dangerous stance.
PC repeats Cong charge: Baba’s stir backed by RSS
The government for the first time voiced the Congress’s allegations that Baba Ramdev’s agitation was propped up by the Sangh Parivar. Home minister P Chidambaram said on Wednesday: “This is not an agitation by a yoga guru, this is a political agitation which is fully backed by the RSS and its front organizations… we will allow peaceful protests but we will not allow anything that will trigger a conflagration.” He rubbishing the comparison of the police action to the Jalianwala Bagh massacre. “One lady has been critically injured and I have already expressed my deep sense of sadness....We are reaching out to the family,” the home minister said. P 8
“Peetenge nahin par pittenge bhi nahin (we wouldn’t beat anyone but we won’t be beaten either),” declared the yoga guru at his morning satsang at the Patanjali Ashram.
The army of 11,000 volunteers he wants to collect will train in martial arts, traditional as well as karate, and learn to wield the lathi. He also dropped dark hints about this struggle being taken up by the young whether he is around to see it or not.
Home minister P Chidambaram reacted angrily to Ramdev’s plans, warning that the yoga guru was likely to run foul of the law. “Let him do that, the law would deal with that,” Chidambaram told reporters in
Ramdev’s call to retaliate with violence in case of another Ravan-lila at a potential Ramlila was greeted with eager cries of “Vande mataram” and “Bharat mata ki jai” by the mixed crowd of about 200 at the satsang, the usual crowd of yoga disciples, students, volunteers, and supporters.
Four days after he was bundled out by cops from
The Baba who so far had appropriated the role of Vishwamitra for himself to justify a yogi taking to activism, brought Ram and Krishna as well into his allusions.
“Though I haven’t achieved even half of what they have,” he hastened to add. Ramdev has been at pains to defend his secular credentials, claiming he has followers among every religion. His trump card is the presence of a motley group calling itself the Bharat Muslim Manch whose banner demands the ouster of non-Indians from the country.
Incidentally, other spiritual organisations which are warily watching Ramdev’s agitation to decide on whether and how to support him may not react well to his call to arms.
Times View
Ramdev’s call to arms is deplorable. It doesn’t strengthen the movement against corruption and black money, it actually weakens it. If civil society has held the moral high ground on this issue, it has been to a large extent because of the peaceful nature of the protests. Anna Hazare, a Gandhian, has scrupulously adhered to non-violence. Ramdev’s proposal to raise a militia, even if it’s for self-defence, will only give ammunition to those opposed to stronger anti-corruption laws to attack the movement. They have been trying from the very beginning to portray the movement as reckless vigilantism by those who have no patience with democracy. Ramdev’s statement plays right into their hands. Anna Hazare and all others who value the gains made by the movement in a short time must distance themselves from such an irresponsible and dangerous stance.
PC repeats Cong charge: Baba’s stir backed by RSS
The government for the first time voiced the Congress’s allegations that Baba Ramdev’s agitation was propped up by the Sangh Parivar. Home minister P Chidambaram said on Wednesday: “This is not an agitation by a yoga guru, this is a political agitation which is fully backed by the RSS and its front organizations… we will allow peaceful protests but we will not allow anything that will trigger a conflagration.” He rubbishing the comparison of the police action to the Jalianwala Bagh massacre. “One lady has been critically injured and I have already expressed my deep sense of sadness....We are reaching out to the family,” the home minister said. P 8
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