Delhi Police Blame Ramdev's Supporters for Chaos
New Delhi, Jun 5 (IANS): Refuting allegations that it baton charged thousands of Baba Ramdev's followers to evict them from the Ramlila Ground in a post-midnight raid, the Delhi Police Sunday said that the yoga guru's supporters were responsible for the entire chaos.
"We used tear gas after Ramdev's supporters pelted stones and when they attacked us with iron rods, fire extinguishers and what appeared to be baseball bats. This was due to Baba Ramdev," Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Dharmendra Kumar said.
"Media alleged that there was lathi-charge, which is not true. There was no lathi-charge. The whole media was there, not even one have shown the visuals of lathi-charge. And the allegation that women were manhandled is also false. We had a huge number of women police personnel, we asked them to handle them," he said.
The officer said that the stampede was triggered by Ramdev when he jumped off the stage to evade the police personnel.
Police also claimed that they had specific intelligence report about a threat to the yoga guru.
"This (Ramlila Ground) was the appropriate place to target him," he said.
Earlier, Delhi Police said that they cracked down on Ramdev after midnight Saturday in order to avoid law and order problems.
"You know better how the crowd is during day time, that is why the action was taken at night," Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat told IANS.
In the operation which he said started around 1 a.m., police forcibly took away the yoga guru from the Ramlila Ground where he was on a fast against corruption and black money. His supporters were dispersed using tear gas.
"A case of rioting, damage to public property and obstruction of public servants in discharge of public duties has been registered," Bhagat added.
Delhi Police Commissioner B.K. Gupta said tear gas was used only after the yoga guru's supporters attacked the police with stones.
"We never used force first. We used tear gas only when they attacked policemen with stones. The Baba took protection among women volunteers and left the spot," Gupta told NDTV.
He quoted Ramdev as initially saying that 5,000 people would reach the protest venue but said that over 50,000 came. "We cannot allow this kind of gathering."
He said Ramdev had been told he would be detained.
"We informed Baba Ramdev he will be detained as there was a security threat because more people had thronged the place than its capacity," he said.
Bhagat added: "When police personnel moved in to detain Baba Ramdev, his followers came in the way and started pelting stones, flower pots and whatever they could lay their hands on. Pushing and pulling between the policemen and the supporters followed, resulting in injuries to supporters as well as policemen."
He said that Ramdev's 39 supporters, including four women, and 23 policemen were injured and they were discharged after first aid.
Meanwhile, hospital authorities said that around 100 people were injured.
"Around 100 people are injured, out of which 71 are critical. Many have suffered wounds on their limbs," a medical official at the Lok Nayak Hospital told IANS. The hospital is adjacent to the Ramlila ground.
"The police exercised great restraint in dealing with supporters and situation," Bhagat said.
"In order to contain the situation from deteriorating, police lobbed eight tear gas shells, which forced the supporters to vacate the venue although after much resistance. Subsequently, police detained Baba Ramdev. He was later allowed to leave after he requested to return to his ashram in Haridwar (in Uttarakhand)," a Delhi Police statement said.
According to the police, they informed the yoga guru that they had granted permission to the Bharat Swabhiman Trust to hold a yoga training camp by Baba Ramdev.
"We had given permission to hold a yoga camp but it was withdrawn when all efforts failed to convince Baba Ramdev and organisers to restrict the activities to what was originally permitted, in view of the heightened security scenario of the capital city and public safety," Bhagat said.
The police statement said that instead of a yoga camp, leaders from political and religious organisations, including Baba Ramdev, chose to incite his followers through provocative speeches from the dais.
Fast hasn't Ended, They Wanted to Kill Me: Ramdev
Haridwar, Jun 5 (IANS): A visibly emotional Baba Ramdev Sunday accused the central government of betraying him and trying to kill him. Upon reaching his ashram in this pilgrim city Sunday after being evicted from Delhi, he also insisted that his fast against corruption had not ended.
"They wanted to kidnap me and kill me or send me somewhere," a soar throated and at times teary eyed Baba Ramdev said at a press conference in Haridwar.
"My fast has not ended," he said about the hunger strike against corruption which he had launched at the Delhi Ramlila ground Saturday but which was halted by police action on him and his supporters.
He also accused the government and Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal of cheating him.
"Kapil Sibal is a liar and a cunning person, he cheated and mislead us," he said, adding they were forced into signing the letter.
The yoga guru called the police action at Ramlila ground "inhuman".
"The atrocities over one lakh people were inhuman and barbaric. They did not even spare women and children," Ramdev said. "Despite my pleas, police did not leave women and child but attacked them.
"They wanted to kidnap me an kill me, or send me somewhere".
He also attacked Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
"I thought she is not born in this country but is the daughter-in-law of this country, but by ordering attack on one lakh people, she proved she does not love the people (of this country)," he said.
Ramdev Banned from Entering Delhi for 15 Days
New Delhi, Jun 5 (PTI): The Delhi police today registered a case against unnamed persons on charges of charges of rioting in connection with the Baba Ramdev-led protest at Ramlila Maidan. The yoga guru has also been banned from entering Delhi for 15 days.
Sources said the case was registered at Kamla Market police station against unidentified people on charges of rioting, preventing public servants from discharging duties and damaging public property.
Police had early this morning swooped on at the Ramlila Maidan where Ramdev had launched a hunger strike on the issue of black money after cancelling the permission for his programme.
Security personnel resorted to lobbing teargas shells and lathicharge after protestors in thousands tried to prevent them from evicting them from the agitation site. Several people were injured in the incident.
The police action came after Ramdev did not call off his fast as per an "agreement" with the government to do so.
Chennai: Advani Demands Emergency Session of Parliament
Chennai, Jun 5 (IANS): In his reaction to the crackdown on yoga guru Baba Ramdev, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani Sunday urged President Pratibha Patil to convene an emergency session of parliament.
"I want the president to take cognisance of the happenings in the country for the past six months and convene an emergency session of parliament," Advani told reporters here.
"I would urge the president that she should not be a passive observer (the events)."
Accusing police of forcing Ramdev to end his hunger strike against corruption at Delhi's Ramlila ground, Advani said: "Police beat up the young and old. It was like Jallianwala Bagh.
"The prime minister (Manmohan Singh) and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who is also chairperson of the UPA (United Progressive Alliance), owe an apology to Ramdev and the whole country," he said.
Ramdev Reaches Haridwar to Hero's Welcome
Haridwar, Jun 5 (IANS):Yoga guru Baba Ramdev Sunday reached here to a hero's welcome after he was ordered to leave New Delhi following a police crackdown after midnight on his protest against corruption. Ramdev was driven to his ashram near Haridwar, some 60 km Dehradun, after being flown in a special flight from Delhi to the Uttarakhand capital.
Clad in white robes, Ramdev was welcomed by his enthusiastic supporters at the Patanjali Yoga Peeth ashram with garlands and a shower of rose petals.
Ramdev earlier landed at the Jolly Grant Airport near Dehradun around 10.45 a.m. He was received by officials of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Uttarakhand government.
Ramdev refused to speak to reporters at the airport, saying he would hold a formal press conference at his ashram to explain the details of the police action.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said the guru's hunger strike should have been allowed to continue.
"What was wrong with Baba's peaceful agitation? Why did the government get scared?" Pokhriyal said.
"If (Ramdev) wants to continue his agitation in Uttarakhand, he has full freedom to do it," Pokhriyal said.
Ramdev Dares Government to Arrest him with Warrant
New Delhi, Jun 5 (PTI): Baba Ramdev, whose indefinite fast was ended abruptly by Delhi Police in a mid-night swoop, today challenged the government to arrest him with a proper warrant and condemned the "excesses" on his followers.
Speaking to a TV channel from an undisclosed location, he termed the police operation at Ramlila Maidan, venue of his agitation, as unfortunate.
Ramdev said that "they (he and his followers) have not committed any sin. So why is it that they were subjected to such brutality." He also claimed that no police officer has spoken to him so far.
"I request the Prime Minister that if they want to arrest me, then they should arrest me with a proper warrant during the day time. Why they came like thieves and did this, it is unfortunate," he said and also asked people to protest the police action.
He appealed to the people to lodge their protest against police action.