With the government toughening its stand against Baba Ramdev, the yoga guru on Tuesday said he has forgiven the prime minister for the crackdown on his agitation but history will not forgive him for the "political sin" he committed.

"The prime minister termed it (the police action) unfortunate. In a way he has accepted his sin. Since he has accepted his sin, I have forgiven him," Ramdev told reporters here.

"I have personally forgiven him but the history of not only India but the whole world will never forgive him for the political sin he committed. He has tainted democracy," Ramdev, who is continuing his satyagraha here, said.

The yoga guru was reacting to Singh's remarks yesterday that "it was unfortunate that the operation had to be conducted but quite honestly, there was no alternative."

Baba Ramdev also attacked the Congress for ridiculing his escape in a women's dress from the ground, saying even Maratha warrior Shivaji had escaped in disguise to secure the nation.

The yoga guru said that he suspects that the police would now edit the recordings made by the CCTV cameras installed at the ground in a bid to wipe out the evidence so that they escape action.

"We had put CCTV cameras in the camp, which recorded the events. If the police had not done anything wrong, why did they took away the footage forcibly. This is clear cut goondaism of the police... Our workers who had gone there have been embroiled in false cases under a conspiracy. The police will now edit the footage and then release after deleting portions so that no action follows against them," he said.

He alleged that the police lobbed hundreds of tear gas shells in a bid to suffocate him to death where he was hiding.

Ramdev said there could be conspiracies to kill him by strangulating, burning the stage on which he was sitting and shooting him.

He said the government's argument that there was a threat of terrorist attack on him could be the fifth conspiracy to eliminate him and alleged that an e-mail has been "manufactured" by the government to make it convincing.
 

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PM defends Delhi police action against Ramdev and supporters

Breaking his silence on the police action at Ramdev's protest congregation, prime minister Manmohan Singh said on Monday it was "unfortunate" but unavoidable even as the political battle on the issue heated up with the BJP knocking at the president's door demanding a special session of Parliament to discuss black money.

In his first comments on the issue, the prime minister Singh, who has been accused of mishandling the situation, said, "It is unfortunate that operation had to be conducted but quite honestly, there was no alternative."

He asserted that his government was concerned and serious about fighting corruption but maintained that there was "no magic wand" when his comments were sought by reporters on the much-criticised midnight police action to disrupt Ramdev's anti-corruption protest at Ramlila Maidan.

There was no let up in the war of words with the Congress making it clear that it will deal sternly with forces of communalism and anarchy.

Stepping up its offensive againt the UPA government, a delegation of BJP-led NDA met president Pratibha Patil to demand convening of a special session of Parliament to discuss the issue of black money and police action against Ramdev and his supporters.

A day after the forcible shutting of the protest by Ramdev by Delhi police in Ramlila Maidan, the supreme court took suo motu cognizance asking the Government to explain the circumstances which compelled to take "brutal" action at the Ramlila Maidan.

In Haridwar, Ramdev resumed his fast vowing to continue his 'satyagraha' till the Government accepts his demands on curbing corruption and black money.

Facing the heat, Congress asserted in Delhi that it will deal firmly with communal forces and others wanting to destabilise the government.

Mincing no words, party spokesperson Janardhan Dwidedi accused the BJP of trying to foment trouble to return to power at the Centre.

He also lashed out at the BJP for comparing Ramdev with Mahatma Gandhi and Vivekananda.

High drama was witnessed at the press briefing when a man posing as a journalist tried to attack Dwidedi with a shoe. Sunil Kumar, who was sacked as a teacher of a coaching institute in Rajasthan, was immediately taken into custody.

Taking on Ramdev, Dwidedi said a man who claims to be saint tried to escape in a woman's dress. "Satyagrahis don't run away wearing woman's clothes. They fight," he said.

Ramdev had nearly given the police a slip after jumping from a three-metre high podium. He had melted into the crowd of supporters and changed into a salwar-kameez, acting like an injured woman, before he was spotted.

A delegation of NDA leaders led by BJP parliamentary party chairman L K Advani met the President and handed over a memorandum demanding immediate convening of a special session of Parliament and passage of a resolution declaring the ill-gotten money stashed away abroad as national asset.

The memorandum said in the special session, the opposition wants to "compel" the government to explain its "brutal action against peaceful protesters and apologise for this attack on civil liberties and democratic rights".

The President gave them a patient hearing and assured the delegation that the memorandum will be examined and sent to the government for appropriate action.

BJP, whose top leaders are holding a satyagraha at Rajghat here to protest the crackdown on Ramdev and his supporters, accused the government of "shielding and protecting" the corrupt.

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Ramdev's disciple ends life in Chhattisgarh

Upset over the police crackdown on Baba Ramdev at Delhi's Ramlila grounds, a supporter and disciple of the yoga guru committed suicide by consuming poison in Durg district of Chhattisgarh, police said today.

The incident took place on Monday when during a 'satyagraha', the deceased identified as Sukhuram consumed pesticide at the protest site in front of the collector's office and was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, superintendent of police, Amit Kumar told PTI.

A suicide note was also recovered from him which was adressed to Ramdev, where he expressed distress over his 'undemocratic' arrest, police said.

The letter highlighted the problems of landless farmers in Chhattisgarh. Sukhuram also expressed his helplessness after he lost his land and said he had no other option but to end his life, they said.

The victim was a resident of Talegaon village had left his residence to join Ramdev's movement on Saturday, police added.