Indian yoga guru held at anti-graft protest rally
Source: Agencies |
August 14, 2012, Tuesday
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A POPULAR yoga guru and thousands of his supporters were detained by police yesterday as they tried to march to India's Parliament to intensify an anti-corruption protest and press for a change of government.
As he was led away by police, Baba Ramdev shouted slogans urging his supporters to fight to end India's endemic corruption and seek the repatriation of billions of dollars in illegal money he says Indians have stashed in foreign banks.
Waving Indian flags and shouting slogans, the protesters climbed into police buses parked around the sprawling New Delhi fairground that they had occupied for the past four days. They were taken to a city stadium, and by evening, were free to leave, said Rajan Bhagat of New Delhi police.
However, Ramdev refused to leave and asked police to provide water and food for his supporters. He said he would end his five-day-old fast only after that.
Before the march, the bearded, saffron-clad yogi urged his supporters to throw out the ruling Congress Party.
Ramdev, who had not eaten for the past four days, had set a Sunday evening deadline for a response from the government to his protest, but received none. He has been demanding a robust ombudsman law to keep checks on government.
Although Ramdev has often said he is not aligned with any political party, yesterday he was joined by leaders from the main opposition parties.
Nitin Gadkari, president of the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party, and Sharad Yadav of the socialist party were among those who addressed the crowd, promising their support in the fight against corruption.
Ramdev's protest comes more than a week after the latest hunger strike by anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare failed to attract the huge crowds that had turned out for his past protests.
As he was led away by police, Baba Ramdev shouted slogans urging his supporters to fight to end India's endemic corruption and seek the repatriation of billions of dollars in illegal money he says Indians have stashed in foreign banks.
Waving Indian flags and shouting slogans, the protesters climbed into police buses parked around the sprawling New Delhi fairground that they had occupied for the past four days. They were taken to a city stadium, and by evening, were free to leave, said Rajan Bhagat of New Delhi police.
However, Ramdev refused to leave and asked police to provide water and food for his supporters. He said he would end his five-day-old fast only after that.
Before the march, the bearded, saffron-clad yogi urged his supporters to throw out the ruling Congress Party.
Ramdev, who had not eaten for the past four days, had set a Sunday evening deadline for a response from the government to his protest, but received none. He has been demanding a robust ombudsman law to keep checks on government.
Although Ramdev has often said he is not aligned with any political party, yesterday he was joined by leaders from the main opposition parties.
Nitin Gadkari, president of the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party, and Sharad Yadav of the socialist party were among those who addressed the crowd, promising their support in the fight against corruption.
Ramdev's protest comes more than a week after the latest hunger strike by anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare failed to attract the huge crowds that had turned out for his past protests.
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