On the last day of his fast here on Tuesday for bringing back black money stashed away in foreign banks, yoga guru Baba Ramdev got the surprise backing of erstwhile Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal who urged people to support the cause.
“The government stands exposed in its inaction against corruption and reluctance to talk to the people of this country,” he tweeted on Tuesday, days after Anna Hazare and his team called off their 10-day fast at Jantar Mantar last month in the face of government indifference.
Extending support to Baba Ramdev’s agitation and the issues raised by him, Mr. Kejriwal, rather belatedly, cautioned him against political parties who were expressing their support.
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“They are neck deep in corruption and their support is mere opportunism,” he tweeted a few hours before the yoga guru called off his agitation.
No one from Mr. Hazare’s erstwhile core committee barring Kiran Bedi went to Ramlila Maidan to attend the protest, even though Mr. Hazare had publicly declared his support to Baba Ramdev and had assured him that he would attend the campaign. Ramdev had attended each of Mr. Hazare’s protest fasts for a strong Lokpal in the last two years.
Asserting that “it is not a Swami Ramdev and Team Anna issue” as some people were projecting, Mr. Kejriwal said the issue was “corruption versus people of India” and “people must stand united.”
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Baba Ramdev had to take several questions early on in his agitation as to why Mr. Hazare had not joined him during his protest. Mr. Hazare is in his village Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra. Team Anna had criticised Baba Ramdev earlier this month after the yoga guru shared the platform with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
Earlier, answering a question, Mr. Kejriwal said they had not received any invitation.