Two days ago, Congress had disapproved of sending four senior ministers led by Pranab Mukherjee to meet Ramdev at the airport in Delhi.
Congress today spoke against the politics of blackmail but refrained from any comment on yoga guru Baba Ramdev's plans to start an indefinite fast in Delhi tomorrow on the issue of corruption.
"I am not saying about Jantar mantar (fast by Anna Hazare in April) nor about Ramdev but by definition itself politics of blackmail is not proper," party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters.
He made the remarks to a query concerning such politics during the AICC media briefing dominated by questions about Ramdev's fast and how the party feels about the steps being taken by the government to avert it.
Two days ago, Congress had disapproved of sending four senior ministers led by Pranab Mukherjee to meet Ramdev at the airport in Delhi.
"We do not want to add or subtract to what we have already said on the issue. A process is on at the governmental level... when talks are taking place to try to find a remedy, please do not triviliase the issue.... Some good can come out of it," he said.
He was responding to a satirical question whether the party expected the government to hold talks with Bollywood actresses Mallika Sherawat and Rakhi Sawant if they threaten a fast like Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev.
"Let us not muddy the water either way," he said when asked whether tough action was needed against the Baba.
He dismissed as hypothetical a question that an inquiry should be instituted against the yoga guru for several alleged land scams.
Replying to questions, Singhvi said nothing was wrong with party general secretary Digvijay Singh's criticism of Ramdev. Singh has accused the yoga guru of playing politics on the issue.
A senior Congress leader, who declined to be identified, said that if the Baba goes on with his indefinite fast, then all options would be open for the government including to force-feed him.
He said that before Independence, the weapon of fast and hunger strike was called satyagraha, but now legally it becomes a case of attempted suicide.
Describing Ramdev as a "volatile" person, the leader said that it was not wrong on the part of the government to engage with him.
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