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Indian police crack down on hunger strike yoga guru
Source: Xinhua |
June 5, 2011, Sunday
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Online Edition
Online Edition
INDIAN yoga guru Baba Ramdev was forcibly flown out of Delhi to Haridwar today in a special aircraft from the Indira Gandhi International Airport after the Delhi Police's crackdown on his hunger strike venue.
The Delhi Police had canceled permission for the yoga camp at Ramlila Grounds and ordered Baba Ramdev to stay out of Delhi's limits after late midnight yesterday.
Ramdev started a hunger strike at dawn yesterday to protest corruption in the government, despite efforts by the government to persuade him to call off the strike.
Ramdev was removed from the Ramlila Grounds and was escorted to Delhi border by Delhi Police. Police stormed the yoga guru's fast venue and removed him from the spot. Ramdev was under police detention and there is an externment order against him.
The permission for yoga camp was canceled and Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code was imposed at the Ramlila Grounds as protesters were thrown out. Police fired tear gas shells to disperse Baba's followers which included women and children.
More than 30 people were injured in the police action. Towards dawn all the protesters had been removed and the pandal was dismantled.
"This is unfair. We request the Chief Justice of India to take note of this and pass an order on the Delhi police and government of India. Thousands have been injured," Public Relation Officer of Baba Ramdev said here.
The first signs of the crackdown came shortly after 2am Indian time, with a heavy contingent of Delhi Police landing up at the Ramlila Grounds and surrounding the protest site sensing trouble.
The crowds resisted and began forming rings around the stage in their bid to prevent any forcible eviction leading to scuffles.
A visibly shaken Baba Ramdev soon appeared on the stage, took the public address system and began addressing the gathering. Taking turns to exhort the crowd to stay peaceful and also protesting what he called an unfair action, he even appealed to the people of Delhi to march towards Ramlila Grounds.
The police continued to close in towards the stage in their bid to remove Baba Ramdev from the crowd of supporters who were surrounding him.
The ring of supporters around Baba Ramdev on the stage and thousands of others milling around the stage meant the police would find it tough to evict him without resistance.
After a brief scuffle and some stone pelting, the police used teargas shells to scatter the crowd - to create an opening to ensure the Yoga Guru was whisked away without the crowd being able to intervene.
Just as the police were about to evict Baba Ramdev, a minor fire broke out on the stage even as crowds milled around. But the flames were put out in time before any serious damage could occur.
The post-midnight swoop by the police - the scuffles and the tough action meant several participants of the protest fast sustained injuries. In fact while Ramdev's supporters claimed hundreds had been injured, official figures put the number of injured at 30.
Almost 3,000 policemen were deployed in and around Ramlila Grounds. The Rapid Action Force of the Central Reserve Police Force were also called in to the Central District. Police said that the purpose of setting up the yoga camp at Ramlila Maidan was to carry out yoga activities not for any agitation.
The Delhi Police had canceled permission for the yoga camp at Ramlila Grounds and ordered Baba Ramdev to stay out of Delhi's limits after late midnight yesterday.
Ramdev started a hunger strike at dawn yesterday to protest corruption in the government, despite efforts by the government to persuade him to call off the strike.
Ramdev was removed from the Ramlila Grounds and was escorted to Delhi border by Delhi Police. Police stormed the yoga guru's fast venue and removed him from the spot. Ramdev was under police detention and there is an externment order against him.
The permission for yoga camp was canceled and Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code was imposed at the Ramlila Grounds as protesters were thrown out. Police fired tear gas shells to disperse Baba's followers which included women and children.
More than 30 people were injured in the police action. Towards dawn all the protesters had been removed and the pandal was dismantled.
"This is unfair. We request the Chief Justice of India to take note of this and pass an order on the Delhi police and government of India. Thousands have been injured," Public Relation Officer of Baba Ramdev said here.
The first signs of the crackdown came shortly after 2am Indian time, with a heavy contingent of Delhi Police landing up at the Ramlila Grounds and surrounding the protest site sensing trouble.
The crowds resisted and began forming rings around the stage in their bid to prevent any forcible eviction leading to scuffles.
A visibly shaken Baba Ramdev soon appeared on the stage, took the public address system and began addressing the gathering. Taking turns to exhort the crowd to stay peaceful and also protesting what he called an unfair action, he even appealed to the people of Delhi to march towards Ramlila Grounds.
The police continued to close in towards the stage in their bid to remove Baba Ramdev from the crowd of supporters who were surrounding him.
The ring of supporters around Baba Ramdev on the stage and thousands of others milling around the stage meant the police would find it tough to evict him without resistance.
After a brief scuffle and some stone pelting, the police used teargas shells to scatter the crowd - to create an opening to ensure the Yoga Guru was whisked away without the crowd being able to intervene.
Just as the police were about to evict Baba Ramdev, a minor fire broke out on the stage even as crowds milled around. But the flames were put out in time before any serious damage could occur.
The post-midnight swoop by the police - the scuffles and the tough action meant several participants of the protest fast sustained injuries. In fact while Ramdev's supporters claimed hundreds had been injured, official figures put the number of injured at 30.
Almost 3,000 policemen were deployed in and around Ramlila Grounds. The Rapid Action Force of the Central Reserve Police Force were also called in to the Central District. Police said that the purpose of setting up the yoga camp at Ramlila Maidan was to carry out yoga activities not for any agitation.
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