The Patanjali Yogpeeth, which had apparently organised Baba Ramdev’s programme at Delhi’s Ramlila Grounds, had undertaken a new project (Patanjali Yogpeeth Phase-2) in April 2009 to set up a fully-furnished campus which will have residential Yog Science camps run by Ramdev.
Some of this grand project’s features include 950 rooms for visitors, both air-conditioned and ordinary, a food court which can handle 5,000 people daily, 350 apartments to house accommodate healthy, competent and dedicated senior citizens, and a 50,000-square-foot museum.
The peeth’s website lists donation amounts for various categories: `11 lakhs and above for corporate members; `5 lakhs for founder members; `2.5 lakhs and above for patrons; `1 lakh and above for life members; `51,000 and above for dignified members; `21,000 and above for respected members; and `11,000 for general members.
The yogpeeth offers residential facilities to all members. Corporate and founder members enjoy deluxe air-conditioned facities during Yog Science camp days, while patron members get “special” AC facilities; and life members enjoy “medium” AC treatment. All other categories of members get accommodation with air coolers and toilets.
The peeth’s rules require all corporate, founder, patron and life members to contribute a “nominal” `1,000 while attending the residential Yog Science camps to cover running costs and the maintenance. Those willing to pay more are of course welcome to do so.
Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust is said to own property worth over `1,000 crores, though this has been flatly denied by Ramdev. The yoga guru’s healing business in Hardwar includes a 300-bed multi-speciality hospital, a yoga research centre, university and an ayurvedic pharmacy. He is also associated with a food park known as Padarth and Yog Gram.
The yogpeeth enjoys the tacit backing of both the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Top BJP and Sangh leaders are regular faces seen at most yogpeeth functions. The News Bharati, a RSS-linked online site, had Saturday set up an online news channel to telecast Ramdev’s fast in Delhi. The website had announced: “News Bharati joins the people’s movement against corruption. Visit us for continuous and unbiased coverage of Ramdev Baba’s satyagraha.”
The presence on stage Saturday, next to Ramdev, of Sadhvi Rithambara, a co-accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case, is further evidence of the yoga guru’s connections with the RSS. Earlier, Ramdev had also openly supported Sadhvi Pragya, now in jail as an accused suspected of involvement in the Malegaon blast. Organiser, the RSS mouthpiece, had said in an editorial: “Baba Ramdev has come out strongly in support of Sadhvi and said the government was trying to defame Hindu leaders and is subjecting them to all sorts of inhuman atrocity which it never dares to commit on other religious leaders.”