Delhi police take rap for Ramdev raid

The centrally controlled Delhi police have taken complete responsibility for the midnight attack on the assembled devotees of yoga guru Ramdev at Ramlila ground on June 5.

In an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court on Friday, Delhi police commissioner BK Gupta said authorities had accorded Ramdev permission to only hold a yoga camp. Police said permission was granted only for a gathering of 5,000 people but on that night, there were more than 20,000 people at the ground. The police resorted to lobbing tear gas shells only after Ramdev’s followers started pelting stones at them. Using their judgement, the police used legal means to disperse the unauthorised assembly, the affidavit added.

The affidavit was in response to a PIL seeking action against the police for assaulting Ramdev’s followers.