Ramlila crackdown shows lack of trust between people & govt: SC

The police crackdown on yoga guru Ramdev which, led to violent incidents is a glaring example of trust deficit between the people and the government, the Supreme Court on Thursday said while terming the action an assault on democratic values.

"The present case is a glaring example of trust deficit between the people governing and the people to be governed. Greater confidence needs to be built between the authorities in power and the public at large," a bench of justice BS Chauhan and justice Swatanter Kumar said.

"The action demonstrated the might of the state and was an assault on the very basic democratic values enshrined in our Constitution," the bench said.

It said the police have failed to establish that a situation had arisen where there was an imminent need to intervene and the government has a duty to ensure fulfillment of the freedom enshrined in our Constitution and so it has a duty to protect the citizens.