The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday mounted attack on Centre for police action on Baba Ramdev’s peaceful protest at Ramlila grounds in the middle of the night in Delhi, saying the government has “lost its balance”.
“The government has lost its balance. There are no checks and balances. The Centre has sent four ministers for dialogue with Baba but to beat innocent people they sent 5,000 policemen,” senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj told reporters in Haridwar.
Ms. Swaraj, who held about an hour long back-room talk with the yoga guru, said the government has taken “baby steps” to deal with corruption.
“We have told them about our demands. Earlier they did not ratify United Nations Convention to fight corruption. It was only when we told them, they did it. It is all a baby step,” she said after meeting Baba Ramdev at Patanjali Yogapeeth.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha extended her party’s support to Baba Ramdev’s fast, which entered fifth day today, on the issue of black money and corruption.
“I have come here to meet him. He has lost some 4-4.5 kg weight but his will has become stronger,” she said.
On whether any strategy was discussed in the meeting and if there were any indications of withdrawal of hunger strike by Baba Ramdev, Ms. Swaraj said, “Ramdev said he was fasting in a good way and it can be broken when all his demands are met. None of the demands have been accepted by the government.”
Flanked by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokriyal Nishank, Ms. Swaraj said, “I have come here to support Baba, to ask about his well being. I have told him not only Sangh, he has support of the whole nation.”
Earlier in the day, Vishwa Hindu Parishad senior leader Ashok Singhal had met Baba Ramdev and supported his movement.
