New Delhi/Haridwar: The dramatic eviction of Baba Ramdev in the middle of night in a swoop by Delhi police on Sunday set off a slugfest between the UPA and the Sangh Parivar and the yoga guru who announced that he would continue his agitation against black money.
The first political fallout of the police action was the decision of civil society activists led by Anna Hazare to boycott Monday’s meeting of the Joint Drafting Committee on Lokpal and the threat to resume the agitation in Jantar Mantar.
The police action of firing teargas shells and lathicharge on people in the Ramlila Maidan who were woken up in their sleep in the dead of the night drew sharply critical attacks from BJP and chief ministers Mayawati, Nitish Kumar, Prakash Singh Badal and Naveen Patnaik and former CMs Mulayam Singh Yadav and Chandrababu Naidu.
But the government and the Congress came out in strong defence of the decision to evict the 46-year-old Ramdev and legions of his followers, accusing him of going back on his word of withdrawing his fast after reaching an understanding on the issue of measures to bring back black money stashed abroad.
The political war erupted hours after Ramdev, who jumped from a three-metre-high podium and tried to escape disguised as a woman, was served with an externment order that barred him entry into the Capital for a fortnight.
He was bundled into a police van before dawn and flown to Haridwar in a small plane. The police action came after the government and Ramdev traded barbs accusing each other of betrayal.
With the government decision drawing flak, Congress leadership met at the Prime Minister's residence which was attended by Sonia Gandhi and senior cabinet ministers.
The top BJP leadership met in the Capital and condemned the police action, saying it reminded the days of Emergency.
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