BJP-led NDA comes out in support of Ramdev

New Delhi: In a well-synchronised move the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance extended its support to Baba Ramdev, who is protesting against the United Progressive Alliance Government's alleged inefficiency in tacking black money and corruption. The presence of NDA leaders assume significance in the wake of Ramdev taking a vow to defeat the Congress in the 2014 elections. The BJP said the party will back Ramdev's movement.

Keen to be seen on the right side in the fight against corruption and black money, the BJP and its allies along with some other political parties shared stage with Ramdev at Ramilia Maidan on Monday and came down heavily on the Congress-led UPA, accusing it of protecting scamsters and employing force to break the anti-black money agitation.

BJP President Nitin Gadkari, BJP MP Vijay Goel, Janata Dal (United) chief Sharad Yadav, Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy, Telugu Desam Party's Nama Nageshwara Rao, Shiromani Akali Dal and Biju Janata Dal representatives joined Ramdev at the Ramlila Maidan and shared the stage with him. The leaders reached the Ramlila Maidan at around 11.30 am and while addressing the crowd, spewed venom against the Congress-led UPA.

They alleged that the government was using the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to target opposition leaders and to stay in power.

"There is no political agenda to this agitation. This agitation should not be seen from political prism. This is an agitation of the people of the country and not of one single party. Black money should be brought back to the country and spent on the country's development," Gadkari said.

Alleging that CBI has become "Congress Investigation Bureau", Gadkari claimed that the investigative agency was the "biggest strength" of the Government which is using it to black mail people like Ramdev.

"We have not seen it once. We have seen it many times that CBI is misused by the government. They use it to blackmail people. They are trying to harass people like Ramdev and his supporters," he said.

The BJP chief also wanted to know why the Government was "reluctant" in naming the people who have stashed black money in foreign shores. "The BJP is fully behind Baba in his fight against black money. He has our full support. Here you are leading lakhs of people in the movement and in Parliament, the BJP raised the issue and stalled the House on the matter," he said.

He said black money should be brought back to the country and spent on developing India.

"Congress and its allies are looting the country. Their ministers are involved in serveral corruption cases and all of them need to be arrested and sent to Tihar Jail in Delhi," said Gadkari.

Ignored by the government, Ramdev on Monday decided to take his protest on black money and corruption to Parliament and vowed to oust Congress in the next Lok Sabha polls.

"The government has become completely deaf. We have to make them hear us. Now our protest will be outside Parliament. We are not talking about gherao," Ramdev said while addressing his supporters.

"Lok Sabha polls will be in 2014 and 99 per cent could be in 2013. This protest is to ensure that no dishonest person enters Parliament. Such people should be boycotted. We do not have a political agenda," he said.

The yoga guru, who started his fast on Thursday, said the Government had become "insensitive".

"The Government is deaf, blind and insensitive. It is in coma, it will die, we don't want anybody to die. But they are inviting death. Congress hatao, desh bachao," Ramdev said.

"We will sit on dharna outside Parliament," he added.

(With additional inputs from PTI)