ওয়াশিংটন বাংলা রেডিও Washington Bangla Radio USA

New Delhi, June 4 (IBNS) India’s most popular yoga guru Baba Ramdev, who is on an indefinite fast against corruption and black money, took a two-hour break on Saturday and held a meeting with government representatives on related issues.

 

"The government must give in writing what Constitutional steps it can take to recover black money and end corruption. We agreed on some issues yesterday. On some issues partial consensus was arrived at. Again we met today to discuss the same,” Ramdev told a massive gathering at Ramlila ground after the meeting.

 

“Till 100 per cent consensus is reached, we will continue our protest. I am not sitting here to rebuke anybody. If government fulfills our demand, full credit will go to government," he said.

 

Baba Ramdev began his anti-graft hunger strike in New Delhi at 7 am on Saturday, while Gandhian social activist Anna Hazare seemed still undecided on whether he will join the yoga guru or not.

 

The ‘fast unto death’ began sharp 7 am at the Ramlila Maidan here, where thousands of supporters joined Ramdev and many more are expected throughout the day.

 

Meanwhile, Hazare said he is yet to take a final decision on joining Baba.

 

"I am yet to take a final decision on joining Baba. I am going to Delhi tomorrow and then I will discuss about how to go ahead with the satyagraha,” Hazare told reporters in Pune.

 

Former Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Sadhvi Ritambara and other religious leaders from Sikh, Jain and Muslim communities also shared the stage with him.

 

Ridambhara praised Ramdev and said: "If there were more Vallabbhai Patels, then there was no need for a sanyasi to sit on satyagraha."

 

Supporting Ramdev, Maulvi Rizvi said "This is not Muallah Omar's Taliban. This is Hindustan."

 

Ramdev pepped up his fasting followers and said the hunger strike will benefit his obese devotees to cut down flab.

 

"Hamara mota bhai aur moti baheno ke liye yeh satyagrah health benefits dega aur desh ke liye wealth mil jayega" (The hunger strike will help slim my fat brothers and sisters, while it will also bring wealth to the country),” the yoga guru said.

 

One of his followers handed him a Rs 11 lakh cheque to support his mission.

 

Showing the cheque to a massive gathering, Ramdev said: “This is not black money.”

 

Bhojpuri actor Manoj Tiwari became the first celebrity to join Ramdev. He said he has cancelled his shootings for a month to stay with Ramdev during his hunger strike.

 

He was seen singing bhajans like 'Raghupati Raghav Rajaram' (a Mahatma Gandhi favourite) and patriotic songs on the stage.

 

Meanwhike, Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh slammed Ramdev for his "five-star satyagraha" and said he is being sponsored by saffron groups likeRashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).

 

“What kind of satyagraha is this of a Baba who travels in a jet? Ramdev is on a five-star satyagraha. Now it is absolutely clear as to what are the credentials of Baba Ramdev. He is now openly supported by RSS BJP and VHP," Singh told reporters.

 

"He has got five-star tents put up with all facilities. And he is doing satyagraha on issues, which he doesn't know," he said.

 

"The whole satyagraha is not something what the satyagraha Mahatma Gandhi meant. This is five-star satyagraha for which crores of Rupees have been spent in creating air conditioned pandal," he said.

 

“This drama is totally engineered by RSS and VHP to divert people's attention from Sanghi terror. RSS and VHP are trying to undo the Constitution and Parliamentary democracy by encouraging people like Baba Ramdev to go on such fast,” said Singh.

 

 

Before launching the “satyagraha against corruption”, Ramdev held a yoga and bhajan session during which he told the gathering that his protest intended to “save the country from corruption and ensure that the poor get a good life.”

 

 

“Nothing is impossible, everything is possible and we are not going to be defeated,” he said, after he appeared on stage at 4:50 am and was greeted by a huge round of applause from his applause.

 

Ramdev also said there was a conspiracy against him that ‘failed’ as it was revealed on the ‘right time’.

 

"I will certainly not talk about all issues today, there was a conspiracy but it has failed. What was the conspiracy, I will not say today. When the right time comes, I will say," Ramdev said.

 

The strike to bring back what Ramdev calls “national asset” began after even four hours of talks with top ministers of the Indian government at a five star hotel failed to win him over. However negotiations and “back channel” talks were expected to continue even as the fast went ahead.

 

"What will India get from this protest? India will be saved now... People will get an opportunity for the first time that in all government professional colleges one can carry on the studies in his mother tongue," he said.

 

Union Ministers Kapil Sibal and Subodh Kant Sahay met Baba Ramdev on Friday but failed to arrive at a solution as the yoga guru appeared before his followers at Ramlila ground and announced: "The hunger strike will begin and continue till our demands are met."

 

"Bharat Mata ki jai [Hail the motherland]" he hollered and his followers echoed.

 

Some media reports said the Prime Minister is approaching the President of India on the crisis.

 

Ramdev said the "satyagraha" will continue because it is important to save the country from corruption. He said there would be no revolt against any political party but a peaceful movement and hunger strike will continue.

 

He also warned the government not to try to suppress the movement which he promised will be peaceful.

 

The yoga guru wants Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government take concrete steps towards repatriating illicit funds of the Indian rich, estimated by him to be around Rs 400 lakh crore, stashed away in offshore banks to avoid taxes.

 

For the last three days, the government scrambled to win over Ramdev, clearly apprehensive of having a second anti-graft mass protest in two months take shots at its already battered public approval, as it held frantic negotiations with the Baba and his associates.