When four ministers of the central government rushed to meet Baba Ramdev at Delhi airport on Wednesday, a section of the media speculated that the Manmohan Singh government was trying to woo the yoga guru even as it had snubbed Anna Hazare. However, when the yoga guru emerged from the talks and announced that he would go ahead with his proposed indefinite fast on June 4, it became clear that the government's move had not paid off. Worse still, Anna Hazare later announced that he would join Baba Ramdev's fast at Ramlila Maidan on June 5, thereby scotching rumours of an irreparable rift between the comity of anti-corruption crusaders.

By according the yoga guru a reception usually reserved for visiting heads of state, the prime minister may have intended to soften him up sufficiently to strike a deal with the centre. The idea, clearly, was to avoid a repeat of the Anna Hazare agitation. The question, however, arises whether the centre has mishandled Baba Ramdev, especially since it is the Baba who seems to have divided the Congress party and the government.