Fasting yoga guru Baba Ramdev was rushed to a Dehradun hospital after his health deteriorated but his close aides insisted their leader has not called off his fast that continued for the seventh day against corruption and for retrieval of illegal money stashed abroad.

Ramdev was taken in an ambulance from his fast site in Haridwar around 3 00 pm. After his condition deteriorated further on Friday. “Baba Ramdev was taken to Dehradun for hospitalisation. He had agreed (to be taken to the hospital),” an official told IANS.

A panel of doctors monitoring his condition advised his hospitalisation due to “weight loss” and “low pulse rate”. “Baba (Ramdev) has lost 1.5 kg weight in the last one day. His pulse rate is also falling. If it decreases further, it is a matter of concern,” said Yogesh Kumar Sharma, chief medical officer (CMO) of Haridwar.

“His urine examination showed the presence of albumin, which is a bad sign in terms of kidney functioning. He was taken to the Jolly Grant Medical College in Dehradun because of his worsening health condition and a team of doctors is accompanying him,” he said. Ramdev on Thursday took lemonade and honey on the request of doctors. He has been on an indefinite fast after being forced to move out of Delhi’s Ramlila ground a week ago.

“Swamiji was taken to ICU (Intensive Care Unit), Jolly Grant, Dehradun, due to low pulse rate and ketone body found in urine and dehydration on the CMO’s advice,” Ramdev’s spokesperson S.K. Tijarawala said. “We appeal for peace and prayers,” he said in a statement. “Technically, the fast is on,” Tijarawala told IANS. “He is determined to continue the fast. He fell unconscious on his way to the ICU.” R. Meenakshi Sundaram, district magistrate of Haridwar, said Ramdev was persuaded to be hospitalised. “There was no force feeding. He voluntarily agreed. There was danger to his vital organs,” he told reporters and added that the yoga guru was given glucose in the ambulance. Alarmed at his worsening health condition, social activist Anna Hazare appealed to the Central government to urge the yoga guru to break his fast.

“The government should urge Baba Ramdev to break his fast on humanitarian grounds,” Anna Hazare, who on Wednesday sat on a day-long fast to protest the crackdown on Ramdev and his supporters, told reporters. Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar also announced that he will meet Ramdev and urge him to end his fast. “The government is in touch with guruji on Ramdev. (law minister) minister M. Veerappa Moily called him and he conveyed his message to the Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh),” said Sri Sri's office. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asked the government to announce effective measures to curb corruption.

“The whole country is revolting against corruption, the government of India should not keep its ego first,” BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters. “They must announce some strong and effective action, his life is precious for the country,” he said. “Ramdev Baba is a respectable spiritual leader of our country, he has raised serious issues against corruption,” Prasad added.