I am being victimised: Baba Ramdev

NEW DELHI: Alleging that he is being "victimised" for raising issues like black money and corruption, Yoga guru Ramdev today said he was willing to put behind the past and talk to th

NEW DELHI: Alleging that he is being "victimised" for raising issues like black money and corruption, Yoga guru Ramdev today said he was willing to put behind the past and talk to the Government if it takes a clear stand on three issues including change in the system.

Addressing a press conference here, Ramdev also indirectly attacked the Congress, saying except one party at the Centre no other political outfit has a problem in declaring black money as national wealth.

"For a long time I have been talking about black money and corruption. For this reason, several officials from different agencies have been deputed against me and my supporters. They have set the CBI after my aide Balkrishna," he alleged.

"Students are not being allowed in our ayurvedic college. We are being victimised in different ways," he said.

However, the Yoga guru also sought to reach out to the Congress and Government, saying he was ready to forget "old issues."

"We are ready to forget old issues and we can talk to them, but they need to clear their stand on three issues - black money, corruption, change in the system," he said.

Ramdev was apparently referring to the late night swoop on his fast at Ramlila Maidan by the Delhi Police on June 5 that resulted in injuries to several people. The yoga guru was bundled out of Delhi after the incident.

Attacking Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh, Ramdev said Gandhi was called a Mahatma when he talked about 'Swadeshi', but when he spoke on similar lines he was termed a 'big thug'.

"This is happening because we created a mass movement against corruption and black money," he said.

He said Singh has a habit of saying wrong things and is forthcoming in giving clean-chit to corrupt people.

"He has called Batla house encounter fake, but I do not wish to talk about bad people on the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti," he said.

While talking about 2G scam, Bofors and illegal mining, Ramdev said, "Black money stashed in foreign banks has been looted from 121 crore people in India through such scams."

The yoga guru said action in cases of corruption should be taken against all those responsible and saving someone to make other person a scapegoat should not happen.

On black money and corruption, Ramdev said he had written letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and leaders of other political parties.

"We are waiting for their replies and after receiving them, we will talk to the public," he said.

Asked whether he would target or support any single party in the upcoming Assembly polls, Ramdev said, "After knowing the stand of all parties on black money and corruption we would inform the public about their views."

"We have asked for permission to conduct various cultural programmes in poll-bound states but if it is not granted, we would organise a mass movement. Candidates of political parties would be invited to give their opinion on black money at these programmes," he said.

He alleged that after the death of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, the account of his illegal assets came to light. "I am not comparing Gaddafi to our leaders, but just saying that after the death of a corrupt person, the accumulation of his black money is revealed," he said.

Asserting that he had no differences with Anna Hazare, Ramdev said they need to support each other for the "big fight" ahead.

Related Stories

No stories found.

X
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com