The yoga guru Ramdev's protest turned decisively political on Monday, as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders Nitin Gadkari and Sharad Yadav joined him on the dais before he marched to Parliament with his supporters.
The Delhi Police looked prepared to handle the march, which was stopped less than a kilometre away from the protest venue near the Ranjit Singh flyover. After an hour-long drama at the 'barricade' put-up by the police, Ramdev allowed himself to be taken away. Earlier, the police had planned to take him to Bawana in outer Delhi but the total chaos on the roads foiled such plans for about six hours. The police later shifted him and his supporters to the Ambedkar Stadium near Rajghat, which is within one-kilometre range of the original protest venue.
Before he set off for Parliament, Ramdev turned his protest against illegal money completely anti-Congress. He gave the slogan 'Congress hatao, desh bachao' and later asked his followers to defeat the party in the next Lok Sabha election. He said that except the Congress, every political party had supported his movement on bringing back illegal money and ending corruption in government.
While being led away in a bus, the yoga guru, with his torso hanging out of a window, said. 'We will continue to fight this government …. That is our strategy now.' Hitting at the Congress, he said, 'This party has become a river of corruption and they have mines of black money. If that black money is recovered, this country will be heaven. But no one is willing to listen. We will tell people not only to defeat the Congress but also which candidates to vote for.'
Reacting on the development, the Congress alleged that Ramdev and Team Anna were hand in glove with the BJP-led NDA and the masks had fallen off with their open support to the yoga guru's agitation. 'The BJP president and the NDA convenor have gone there and [the Ramdev's supporters] say that they have no relationship with political parties. Hence, I am saying the masks are out,' said the Congress media chief Janardhan Dwivedi.
Earlier, Gadkari said at the Ramlila Maidan that the Congress was using the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as a weapon to harass opposition and dubbed it as the 'Congress Bureau of Investigation'. He said that the NDA stood behind Ramdev in his war against illegal money and corruption. He also declared that the yoga guru had no intention to contest election. He said that the Congress had misused the CBI in getting Ramdev's close aide Balkrishna arrested.
Others who shared the dais with Ramdev on Monday were the Telagu Desam Party leader Nama Nageshwara Rao, the BJP MP Vijay Goel, the Akali Dal representatives and the Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy. Ramdev was also provided 'outside' support by the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.
Earlier in the day the issue of black money was raised in both the houses of Parliament by the opposition benches, especially those belonging to the BJP, leading to their adjournment .
The Delhi Police looked prepared to handle the march, which was stopped less than a kilometre away from the protest venue near the Ranjit Singh flyover. After an hour-long drama at the 'barricade' put-up by the police, Ramdev allowed himself to be taken away. Earlier, the police had planned to take him to Bawana in outer Delhi but the total chaos on the roads foiled such plans for about six hours. The police later shifted him and his supporters to the Ambedkar Stadium near Rajghat, which is within one-kilometre range of the original protest venue.
Before he set off for Parliament, Ramdev turned his protest against illegal money completely anti-Congress. He gave the slogan 'Congress hatao, desh bachao' and later asked his followers to defeat the party in the next Lok Sabha election. He said that except the Congress, every political party had supported his movement on bringing back illegal money and ending corruption in government.
While being led away in a bus, the yoga guru, with his torso hanging out of a window, said. 'We will continue to fight this government …. That is our strategy now.' Hitting at the Congress, he said, 'This party has become a river of corruption and they have mines of black money. If that black money is recovered, this country will be heaven. But no one is willing to listen. We will tell people not only to defeat the Congress but also which candidates to vote for.'
Reacting on the development, the Congress alleged that Ramdev and Team Anna were hand in glove with the BJP-led NDA and the masks had fallen off with their open support to the yoga guru's agitation. 'The BJP president and the NDA convenor have gone there and [the Ramdev's supporters] say that they have no relationship with political parties. Hence, I am saying the masks are out,' said the Congress media chief Janardhan Dwivedi.
Earlier, Gadkari said at the Ramlila Maidan that the Congress was using the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as a weapon to harass opposition and dubbed it as the 'Congress Bureau of Investigation'. He said that the NDA stood behind Ramdev in his war against illegal money and corruption. He also declared that the yoga guru had no intention to contest election. He said that the Congress had misused the CBI in getting Ramdev's close aide Balkrishna arrested.
Others who shared the dais with Ramdev on Monday were the Telagu Desam Party leader Nama Nageshwara Rao, the BJP MP Vijay Goel, the Akali Dal representatives and the Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy. Ramdev was also provided 'outside' support by the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.
Earlier in the day the issue of black money was raised in both the houses of Parliament by the opposition benches, especially those belonging to the BJP, leading to their adjournment .