RSS admits supporting Baba Ramdev

Nagpur, June 7 (ANI): Lashing at the Centre for its midnight crackdown on protesters, including women and children, at Ramlila Maidan, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat admitted that it extended support to yoga guru Baba Ramdev's agitation.

"The RSS was not behind the stir launched by Ramdev seeking repatriation of the black money stashed illegally in foreign banks but have extended all support to it agitation," Bhagwat said while addressing the outfit's last night.

He said that the RSS in its Puttur (Kerala) meeting had adopted a resolution to extend all support to Baba Ramdev.

"RSS cannot remain a mute spectator to the social revolution taking place against corruption and black money. Therefore, it has asked its cadres to join the agitation," Bhagwat said.

Talking about black money stashed in foreign banks, Bhagwat said it certainly belonged to the people in the higher strata of the society. It is not that a poor man has collected his money and deposited in the Swiss bank.

He also questioned legality of the proposed Anti Communal Riots Bill being drafted by the National Advisory Council (NAC), saying that the very existence of the NAC was unconstitutional.

"If Ramdev and Hazare are outsiders, under which clause of the Constitution has the NAC been constituted? Does it not comprise outsiders?" he asked.

Baba Ramdev was on a hunger strike against corruption along with 65,000 followers when the police, on the government's orders, decided to dismantle the elaborate camp that had been set up at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan.

The Baba was caught dressed as a woman, while heading away from the camp towards the railway station.

A special plane took him to Dehradun and from there he was taken to his patanjali ashram in Haridwar by road. He continues with his fast-unto death. (ANI)