Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh has charged yoga guru Baba Ramdev of receiving “illegal” benefits from the BJP government in Himachal Pradesh.
Questioning his moral authority to lead an agitation against corruption and black money, the former CM and incumbent Punjab Congress chief alleged: “Baba Ramdev’s own credentials are open to question.”
According to Capt. Singh, Himachal Pradesh’s Prem Kumar Dhumal government had virtually gifted 127 bighas of land to Ramdev at Sadhupul village along the Chail-Kandaghat road in the Shimla Hills. “Each bigha has an estimated value of `20 lakhs and this land worth multiple crores has been handed over on a 99-year lease at a token of `1 per year,” he said.
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‘Dark spot on democracy’
age CORRESPONDENT
chandigarh
June 5: Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal and his estranged nephew Manpreet Badal condemned the police action on Baba Ramdev and his supporters.
Mr Badal said, “Eliminating corruption in high places and bringing back black money stashed away in foreign banks are national issues. The incident is a dark spot on democracy and a shocking violation of fundamental democratic rights of people to put their views across in a peaceful manner.”
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Draconian, says Patnaik
age CORRESPONDENT
bhubaneswar
June 5: Orissa chief minister and the BJD president Naveen Patnaik, who is known for his diatribe against the UPA government at the Centre, found an opportunity in the police action against Baba Ramdev to attack the Central establishment. “The Central government has behaved in most undemocratic behaviour. The police action against Baba Ramadev is highly unjustified, shocking and draconian,” Mr Patnaik said.
The BJD, which was formed in 1997 on anti-Congress sentiment, has remained the most critical political adversary of the UPA. An erstwhile member of the NDA, the party severed its ties with the BJP on the eve of last general elections. Several attempts by the Congress leaders to woo the BJD have gone in vain.
Meanwhile, the BJP state unit leaders also criticised the UPA for evicting Ramdev from the venue of his anti-corruption satyagraha in Delhi. Hundreds of h BJP workers and affiliated outfits staged demonstrations and road blockades at several places against the action.