Following the late night police action at Ramlila Maidan here where Baba Ramdev and his supporters were holding a satyagrah, the venue wore a deserted look on Sunday with all the supporters having fled for their safety and scattering themselves around the capital.
According to police personnel posted at the Ramlila grounds, clothes, bangles and shoes were all strewn around the premises and contractors were busy dismantling the tents. The sound system was reportedly broken and the tent near the stage was also damaged in a fire.
There was, however, heavy police presence at the site and entry was barred for all, including media persons.
A police official at the site said: “Section 144 has been imposed here under which assembly of more than five people is not allowed. So we are merely following the government orders. Till further notice, entry to the ground will not be allowed.”
Several people who had fled the site on Saturday night leaving their belongings behind were a harassed and confused lot, not knowing how to recover them.
Seventeen-year-old Amit Sharma said: “I fled from the camp with my family after violence erupted not caring about our luggage. We had come to participate in Baba Ramdev's hunger strike from Meerut, but for now we have taken refuge at a relative's house. Our house keys and money are in the luggage we left behind while running for our safety. Our requests to the policemen to let us go inside to recover our bags have gone unheeded. So I am just running from one gate to another to somehow get inside the ground.”
Delhi-based Anil Grover had a similar tale to recount. “My non-government organisation had pledged support to Baba Ramdev's hunger strike and was providing drinking water supply facility for the participants at the camp. But now I am at a loss, trying to figure out how to recover the stock left inside as no one is being allowed to enter.” Local eyewitnesses outside the ground said the huge crowd at the ground had dispersed in different directions in the chaos that ensued on Saturday night.
Rickshaw puller Suraj Kumar said: “Some fled to their local relative's houses while others took refuge at Baba Ramdev's ashram in Paharganj and in nearby temples and gurdwaras. People came from far off places and could have lost their lives in this police action.”
According to Virender Singh, who is the Delhi co-ordinator of Bhart Swabhiman Trust, the organiser of Baba Ramdev's satyagrah, the supporters who were staying at Ramlila Maidan to take part in the hunger strike would regroup soon and were awaiting Baba Ramdev's directions. “Our supporters have not left Delhi. They have taken shelter at various places for the time being, such as at Rajghat, railways stations, Gurdwara Bangla Sahib and Arya Samaj temples at various locations. We are waiting for Swamiji's directions to re-group again and we will not back down from the hunger strike as has been reiterated by Swamiji,” he added.
