Ramdev’s fast is political with RSS links: P Chidambaram

Breaking his silence over the midnight crackdown at Ramlila Ground housing Baba Ramdev and his followers, home minister P Chidambaram said it was a “political agitation” and had RSS links.

Explaining the background of Ramdev’s campaign, he said the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (of the RSS) had passed resolution on March 10-13 at Puttur (Karnataka) where the RSS announced formation of an “Anti-Corruption Front” with Ramdev as its patron and KN Govindacharya as its convenor.

Clarifying on the police action, Chidambaram said the Bharat Swabhiman Trust (BST) was given permission to organise a residential yoga training session at Ramlila ground for 4,000-5,000 persons.

“But Ramdev announced the fast-unto-death. A decision was taken that he would not be allowed to organise any protest or fast-unto-death at Ramlila ground and that if he persisted in his efforts to do so he would be directed to remove himself from Delhi. Government representatives engaged Baba Ramdev in talks. Late in the evening of June 4, it became clear that Baba Ramdev had gone back on his assurances and was determined to persist with his fast-unto-death programme,” the minister said.