New Delhi: Pounded by corruption scandals, the Manmohan Singh government left no stone unturned in laying out a red carpet for Baba Ramdev, dispatching four ministers led by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee to appease the yoga guru on the eve of his protest fast.
There was nothing subtle about the government’s appeasement of the guru who plans to begin a fast from Saturday demanding the return of wealth illegally stashed abroad. Cabinet secretary K
M Chandrashekhar was also in attendance as Ramdev was met by the ministerial team at Delhi airport.
The red carpet reception confirmed Congress’s anxiety about the groundswell of antigraft sentiments as well as its desire to split the civil society ranks, but provoked dismay in the party. Party general secretary Digvijay Singh brushed aside the guru saying, “Who is scared of him.”
Ramdev re-calibrated his reported stand opposing the demand of Hazare campaign to bring Prime Minister and judiciary within the ambit of Lokpal. Perhaps noting his view as a boost for the government, he denied having expressed it. Despite govt overtures, Ramdev firm on fast
New Delhi: The importance accorded to Baba Ramdev, who the government hopes will not precipitate a crisis, comes in the backdrop of its growing differences with the Anna Hazare group over the proposed Lokpal bill to combat graft in public life.
When the guru, who Congress chose to view with disdain till recently, landed, he found tourism minister Subodh Kant Sahay, HRD minister Kapil Sibal and parliamentary affairs minister Pavan Bansal at hand apart from Mukherjee. But for the distinctive robed figure of Ramdev, onlookers might well have thought a heavyweight dignitary was landing on Indian soil.
The government briefed the guru at length and said it would meet him again on June 3, a day ahead of his proposed fast. On his part, the guru said talks were “positive” but added that he could not call off his fast unless “a decisive stage was reached.”
The upgrade to Ramdev seems part of Congress strategy to mellow him down, as it eyes his differences with Anna Hazare group hopefully. The ministerial panel was intended to signal the importance government accords Ramdev as ministers explained double taxation treaties, exchange of economic information and other measures to the guru. Senior government sources said it was unclear whether Ramdev will call of his fast. But they hoped that even if he doesn’t, he will not go for broke as Hazare did not too long ago and will instead be amenable to accepting measures the Centre may consider. “It is not in government’s hands to deliver quick results,” the source said.
The presence of Sahay, with his experience of talking to godmen, suggests a “political handling” of the talks with the guru which the government is keen remain on track and do not spin into a confrontation. A stiff attitude early on in the Hazare fast gave way to total capitulation in the end.
The government’s outreach to the yoga guru, whom Congress once attacked as inconsequential wannabe with likely saffron leanings, has unfolded rapidly. But while few would have expected the government to engage in such public diplomacy, the government is not standing on niceties. It is more bothered that the guru with a massive public following does not paint the government into a corner.
If the Congress were to persist with its criticism of the government, the Centre’s task will become more complicated. Till evening, even though Baba announced he was not calling off his fast, government remained hopeful of further engagement. The government recognizes that withdrawing his fast can expose Ramdev to charges of sellout. Besides informing him about the recent moves like forming a committee of financial institutions to suggest ways to tackle black money and a new directorate for tax related criminal investigation, the ministers assured him that Swiss banks were relenting on their infamous secrecy. The ministers told Baba that Swiss banks were now more amenable to sharing details on its accounts after global recession because of the pressure mounted by suffering economies on the bank.
After meeting Baba, Sibal said, “He (Ramdev) raised important issues which impact on the future of our country. They are significant national issues. We prima facie responded to them.”
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