Ramdev does volte-face on Lokpal Bill issue

June 01, 2011 02:48 pm | Updated November 17, 2021 01:26 am IST - Ujjain (MP)

Bangalore: 21/05/2009. Baba Ramdev, founder of Patanjali Yog Peeth during the press conference in Bangalore on 21st May, 2010.  Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

Bangalore: 21/05/2009. Baba Ramdev, founder of Patanjali Yog Peeth during the press conference in Bangalore on 21st May, 2010. Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

A day after stating that the Prime Minister and Chief Justice of India should not be brought under the ambit of the proposed Lokpal Bill, Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev on Wednesday did a volte-face saying he did not make such a statement.

He also said that he was firm on going ahead with his planned indefinite fast against corruption in Delhi from June 4, despite government’s requests to put off the fast.

“I did not say that the proposed Lokpal Bill should not cover the Prime Minister and CJI as their posts are highly dignified,” Baba Ramdev told reporters after ending his 1 lakh km Bharat Swabhiman Yatra here.

“Keeping the PM and CJI out of the Lokpal’s ambit was never my personal opinion,” he said, adding that there were talks in the public that these posts should not come under the ambit of Lokpal bill.

Baba Ramdev said in Madhya Pradesh’s Sehore district on Tuesday that the Prime Minister and CJI should not come under the ambit of Lokpal given that these posts were highly dignified.

The Baba also praised the CJI, saying that the judiciary in the country was very active.

When asked to comment on Anna Hazare’s statement praising the Prime Minister, he said he was not a spokesman of the anti-graft crusader. “We are companions,” he said.

He said that even though the government representatives were urging him to put off his proposed fast, he would go ahead with the fast. A meeting of our people is taking place over the fast in Delhi, he said.

“I want that the huge black money stashed in foreign banks should be brought back to India. I want to free the country of corruption”, he said.

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