Indian guru to expand anti-graft protest
Source: Agencies |
August 13, 2012, Monday
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A popular Indian yoga guru fasted for a fourth day yesterday and threatened to expand his anti-graft protest nationwide if the government doesn't act decisively to bring back billions of dollars of ill-gotten money that Indians allegedly have stashed abroad.
Baba Ramdev told thousands of cheering supporters at a sprawling fairground in the capital that he would announce an action plan today to "intensify the protest across the country in the form of a people's revolt."
He asked his supporters to be ready to accept arrest, but urged them to be peaceful and shun violence.
"I will be the first person to go to jail and you follow me," he said.
Ramdev and his supporters say they haven't eaten for three days to pressure the government to accept their anti-corruption demands, including the creation of a powerful ombudsman to check government officials, an independent Central Bureau of Investigation, and actions to prevent tax evasion and the illegal stashing of money in overseas banks.
On Thursday, the government said a committee was working on a draft of an ombudsman bill that would be submitted to Parliament next month.
Baba Ramdev told thousands of cheering supporters at a sprawling fairground in the capital that he would announce an action plan today to "intensify the protest across the country in the form of a people's revolt."
He asked his supporters to be ready to accept arrest, but urged them to be peaceful and shun violence.
"I will be the first person to go to jail and you follow me," he said.
Ramdev and his supporters say they haven't eaten for three days to pressure the government to accept their anti-corruption demands, including the creation of a powerful ombudsman to check government officials, an independent Central Bureau of Investigation, and actions to prevent tax evasion and the illegal stashing of money in overseas banks.
On Thursday, the government said a committee was working on a draft of an ombudsman bill that would be submitted to Parliament next month.
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