Protest continues after detained yoga guru freed

IANS/New Delhi

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev addresses supporters from the roof of a vehicle at the end of a rally in New Delhi yesterday

High drama took place in the heart of the capital yesterday as yoga guru Baba Ramdev was detained while leading a march to parliament to push his demand for bringing back black money stashed abroad. Let off later, the yoga guru announced his decision to stay put at the detention venue even as he indicated plans to oppose the Congress in the 2014 polls.His campaign also got a big fillip with various political parties, including many supporting the government, coming out in open support. Proceeding to parliament, Ramdev and a few thousands of his supporters were stopped and detained for almost five hours. Police had a tough time getting him and his supporters to board around 100 buses as they kept alighting and shouting slogans, while some of them also lay down on the road.With Ramdev’s supporters moving at snail’s pace, police decided to detain them at Ambedkar Stadium close to Ramlila Maidan. Let off by evening, Ramdev refused to leave the stadium and also urged people from neighbouring areas to come there today to send a strong message to the government.Hitting out at the Congress, he said it was the only party not supporting his fight for bringing back black money and it should not get the support of people. “I will tell (before 2014 polls) whom to elect and whom to defeat,” Ramdev said. Answering queries from media, Ramdev said his supporters would stay put at the stadium during the night though there were no facilities and people were hungry. He blamed the government for not making food arrangements for the people it had detained.The yoga guru seemed to soften his position a bit towards late night, saying he would stay put on Monday night but was “seriously considering” a word from police to vacate the premises before August 15.Police sources said the Ambedkar stadium falls on the route Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to take to unfurl the tricolour on the Independence Day and the area had to be “security cleared.” Before Ramdev’s march, a host of political leaders joined him at Ramlila Maidan - including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari, Janata Dal-United (JD-U) chief Sharad Yadav, Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy and some Akali Dal leaders.After speeches slamming the government’s “inaction” on black money, Ramdev, asserting the protest was peaceful, led his tricolour-waving and black bandana-sporting supporters on a march to Parliament House. Security personnel, including paramilitary force personnel, were however present in strength to stop him at Ranjit Singh flyover that leads to Connaught Place in central Delhi.