Lucknow, June 5 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari Sunday described the central government's crackdown on the stir by yoga guru Baba Ramdev and his supporters as "fascist" and called for a nationwide satyagraha.
The party announced a 24-hour satyagraha from 7 p.m. Sunday at Rajghat with top leaders like L.K. Advani, Arun Jaitley, and Sushma Swaraj and others staging a sit-in, he said.
"We will start our agitation even if the government does not allow. Our workers will take up the agitation all over the country," BJP president told reporters here.
Baba Ramdev, who started his fast against corruption and black money in Delhi's Ramlila ground Saturday, was forcibly taken away from the venue in the wee hours of Sunday by police. Supporters were baton-charged and tear gas shells were also used to disperse the crowd.
"It is a democratic revolt against fascist actions of the government. The prime minister has no moral right to remain in power after this," Gadkari said.
Gadkari also compared the incident to the ghastly Jallianwala massacre when British colonial rulers had fired on a gathering of unarmed men, women and children, killing hundreds in 1919.
"Peaceful protest is our democratic right. In this incident of June 5, we see the incident of June 25 (1975). It has refreshed the memories of emergency. It reminds of the Jallianwala bagh, it is a taint for democracy," he added.
Emergency (1975-1977) clamped by former prime minister Indira Gandhi has been described as the darkest period in Indian democracy.