Ramdev's fast a five-star satyagraha: Digvijay Singh

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Hitting out at yoga guru Baba Ramdev’s fast against corruption, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh today described Ramdev's fast as a 'five star satyagraha.'

"What kind of satyagraha is this of a Baba who travels in a jet and getting all sorts of five star services? He is doing this fast on an issue he does not even know about," claimed Singh.

He further said Gandhian Anna Hazre should reconsider his association with Baba Ramdev.

"I leave it to the judgement of Anna Hazare to decide whether he wants to associate himself with Baba,” he added.

He also said that the Baba was going ahead with the fast with the help of ‘RSS foot soldiers.’

Earlier, Singh said Ramdev should give up his yoga practices and become a full-time politician.

"If Ramdev wants to do politics, he should give up yoga. He shouldn’t try to balance politics behind the curtains of yoga; better become a full-time politician,” said Singh.

“As it is he is not a guru anymore. He has become a businessman now. He charges Rs. 50,000 for teaching yoga,” he added.

The yoga guru began the protest along with thousands of his followers at the Ramlila maidan as he was joined by Swami Sadhavi Ritambhara and other religious leaders from the Sikh, Jain and Muslim communities.

Before commencing his fast, Ramdev held a yoga and 'bhajan' session during which he told the gathering that the protest was intended to save the country from corruption and ensure that the poor get a good life.

Earlier, he alleged that there was a conspiracy against him to ensure that he does not go ahead with his protest fast but asserted that it had ‘failed’.

"I will certainly not talk about all issues today; there was a conspiracy but it has failed. What was the conspiracy, I will not say today. When the right time comes, I will say," Ramdev said.

He said his ‘satyagraha’ along with thousands of people around the country was to ensure that corruption is rooted out from the nation.

"What will India get from this protest? India will be saved now... People will get an opportunity for the first time that in all government professional colleges one can carry on the studies in his mother tongue," he added.

A large number of security personnel, including women from Rapid Action Force, were deployed at the protest site to ensure no untoward incident takes place. A manual frisking is also being carried out at the entrance.

Yesterday, four hours of negotiation at a five-star hotel in Delhi did not give the government the way out it was seeking.