Declaring the yoga guru's assets, he said that the the Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust has spent Rs249 crore in charity and helping people during calamities.
Yoga guru Ramdev, who is on an indefinite hunger strike against black money and corruption, today made public details of his business empire worth over Rs1,100 crore, claiming everything was in order.
On his sixth day of fast, Ramdev addressed a press conference here during which his close aide Balakrishna said that the capital involving the four trusts run by him totalled Rs426.19 crore while the expenditure incurred on them amounted to Rs751.02 crore.
"We believe in transparency in work and in financial matters. There is proper audit of all our firms and companies. As per rules, government renews our trusts after every two years only when our audits are clean. What has come and what has gone, who has given it and how was it spent, is all maintained," Balakrishna said.
The move to make public assets followed questions raised by Digvijay Singh and other Congress leaders who wanted a thorough probe into the source of the wealth acquired by Ramdev in the last five years.
Balakrishna, however, did not give details of the companies associated with Ramdev, saying it can be obtained from Registrar of Companies under the RTI Act.
"We pay tax as per government norms. TDS is deducted. We follow all rules. Details of all out associate companies can be taken from Registrar of Companies and from the government under the RTI Act. Tax details and balance sheets of trusts have been put on the web site," he said.
While Divya Yoga Mandir trust has a capital of Rs249.63 crore, Patanjali Yoga Peeth trust has Rs 164.80 crore, Bharat Swabhiman trust has Rs9.97 crore and Acharyakul Shiksha Sansthan has Rs1.79 crore -- all totalling Rs426.19 crore. The exependiture outlined for these trusts since their inception came to Rs751.02 crore.
The 46-year old yoga exponent, who is under attack for his statement yesterday to raise 11,000-strong armed cadre, today clarified that his remarks had been twisted out of context.
Ramdev said this force was not like naxalites, maoists or terrorists or arming them with bombs and guns.
"I am not making terrorists, Naxalites and Maoists. I am only developing a nationalist force. It is for self-defence," he said.
"If our women are able to safeguard themselves then nobody will dare to harm them and if our men are able then they can defend any Ramlila ground-type attack," he said.
"My words should be taken in the right context. People should understand what I have said.I want to train them for self-defence. Shaastra means knowledge and shastra means self-defence," he said.
Criticising the yoga guru, home minister P Chidambaram had said yesterday that "by making that statement, he (Ramdev) has exposed his true colours and true intentions. Let him do so and the law will deal with that..You have to observe some discipline".
"It is anti-national and we have to take action," said V Narayanswamy, minister of state in the prime minister's office.
Congress said Ramdev's call for an armed rebellion is a serious issue and hoped that the government will take appropriate action to uphold the Constitution and maintain law and order.
The yoga guru, who is on a fast since June 4 demanding that black money stashed away abroad be brought back, said his hunger strike will continue till his demands are met.
"Fast will continue till my objective is achieved. I do not care even if I die. The fast will go on," Ramdev said.
He also said that Patanjali Yogapeeth trust will bear all expenses for the treatment of people injured in the police action at Ramlila grounds, especially Rajbala who has been grievously hurt.
Doctors attending to Ramdev here have said that his condition is deteriorating.
"He is stable but continuously losing weight.We have asked him to end fast soon," they said.
District magistrate R Meenakshi Sundaram said that Ramdev has agreed to take lemonade and honey.
Asked whether Ramdev will be forcibly fed, the DM said, "we will do whatever is necessary to save baba's life."
While briefing reporters about the yoga guru after his regular medical checkup, chief medical officer, Haridwar Dr Yogesh Chandra Sharma said his weight has gone down by 1.5 kg. to 58.5 kg.
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