I/II. http://www.hindustantimes.com/Midnight-police-swoop-on-Ramdev-detention-ends-protest/Article1-705883.aspx
<http://www.hindustantimes.com/Midnight-police-swoop-on-Ramdev-detention-ends-protest/Article1-705883.aspx> Midnight police swoop on Ramdev, detention ends protest *Press Trust Of India* New Delhi, June 05, 2011 With talks breaking down, police swooped down on Baba Ramdev a little past midnight and detained him after firing tear gas shells and resorting to lathicharge on his supporters to end his day-old indefinite hunger strike on black money issue. Home secretary GK Pillai on Sunday said yoga guru Baba Ramdev was being taken to his ashram in Haridwar after police in a midnight action quelled his mass hunger strike and dispersed thousands of his followers. "He is being taken to his ashram in Hardwar. He will be there by lunch time," Pillai told IANS. He dismissed the claim by Ramdev's supporters that the yoga guru was arrested. He was detained for a while and later escorted out of Delhi, Pillai said. The dramatic police action came after government and the 46-year-old Yoga Guru had accused each other the previous night of betrayal on mutual assurances. The drama that broke the midnight calm in the Ramlila Maidan a little after 1am unfolded when a large number of police personnel descended at the protest venue where Ramdev was demanding immediate action to bring back black money stashed in foreign tax havens. After day break, police cleared all the remnants of Baba's support by evicting his followers from the protest site amidst stiff resistance. Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said that Baba Ramdev was detained as he was leaving the site. Later sources said he was allowed to go out of Delhi and probably he was headed to Haridwar. Earlier, home secretary GK Pillai had maintained that he was not arrested or detained, a point echoed by Delhi Police Commissioner BK Gupta, who also rushed to the spot. Gupta said that there were some security concerns and that the permission for the yoga camp has been cancelled. He said Ramdev's supporters indulged in stone throwing. Police did not use force except to use some tear gas, he added. Ramdev's key aide, Tijarawala alleged that he has been "kidnapped" by police and he feared for his life. The spokesman appealed to the chief justice of India to intervene and ensure Ramdev's safety and release. The police withdrew the permission for his yoga camp and imposed prohibitory orders after what a senior police official said a political decision was taken to end the protest. The previous night the government and Ramdev indulged in a blame game. Union minister Kapil Sibal, who had negotiated with Ramdev, made public a letter written by his aide that the fast would be called off on Saturday evening if government gave written assurances on a legislation to bring back the black money from abroad and stringent punishment to offenders. Ramdev hit back saying government has indulged in "betrayal and cheating" and vowed not to talk to Sibal ever in his life. He said he would go by the word of the Prime Minister. After mutual accusations, the government on late Saturday night sent a fresh letter of assurance on his demands and appealed to him to withdraw his fast. In the midnight drama, that was enacted live in front of television cameras, Ramdev's supporters, who were woken up from their sleep, rose in protest against the police action. Some elderly people swooned due to the impact of tear gas shelling resorted to by police. 30 of his supporters have been admitted to a nearby government hospital for treatment of injuries allegedly suffered during the police action. Chaos and commotion prevailed when the police, including a contingent of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), arrived at the venue and approached Ramdev, who was sleeping on the specially-erected rostrum from where he was addressing his supporters throughout the day. As news spread that Ramdev may be arrested, a posse of supporters, including women, formed a human cordon around him making the job of police difficult to approach him. Some supporters carried Baba Ramdev, who jumped from the dias, on their shoulders and that was the last that he was seen on television screens before he was removed from the place and detained. Earlier, Ramdev was seen appealing to the supporters to remain calm and sought to pacify them while urging them not to resort to violence. There was a minor fire when one of the tear gas shells emitted spark while falling near the stage. The blaze was put out immediately. In his address to the supporters, Ramdev appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to allow him to be arrested during daytime. "Why am I being arrested without any information, at night? I appeal to people to maintain calm...," Ramdev told the gathering. He also appealed the people of Delhi to come in large numbers to the protest venue. A section of supporters threw pots, tripods and mike stands on cops to prevent them from coming close to the stage. The crowd dispersed from the stage after police fired tear gas shells. People were seen vacating the dais and the surrounding area after tear gas enveloped the whole area. The supporters also claimed that Baba alongwith Acharya Bala Krishnan and Jaydeep Arya, head of Bharat Swabhiman Manch, were arrested. They also said Swami Sampoornanand, who is second in command, has taken charge of the agitation and has asked people to gather at Jantar Mantar. Banners were torn and mattresses and furniture lay all over the Ramlila Maidan that resembled a war zone after the police action. The Ramlila ground was booked for 20 days by Baba Ramdev for yoga camp but was turned as the venue for his "Satyagraha" movement. Organisers were asking people not to leave the pandal and continue the protest. Some of them, associated with Baba's movement, contacted their associates in respective states to protest against police action in the morning. Large number of people were leaving the spot, some were seen arguing with the policemen that why they have taken such an action when their protest was peaceful. Some of the supporters refused to leave the venue saying they will not move till they get a direction to do so from Baba. *(With IANS input)* II. http://www.dailypioneer.com/343611/Midnight-action-breaks-up-Ramdevs-anti-corruption-fast.html *Midnight action breaks up Ramdev's anti-corruption fast* June 05, 2011 10:44:20 AM *IANS | New Delhi* Yoga guru Baba Ramdev's indefinite mass hunger strike came to an abrupt end just after Saturday midnight as hundreds of policemen swooped down on Ramlila ground here, forcibly removing him and dispersing his restive supporters with tear gas and batons. As officials said he was being taken back to ashram in Hardwar, his supporters fumed and civil society members called the move unfortunate. But the ruling Congress said it had been done in public interest. In an operation that was meticulously planned, Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel descended on the protest venue in the heart of the capital, taking by surprise both Ramdev and the mass of his sleeping supporters. In no time, there was pandemonium as Ramdev tried to evade police. As the crowds became restive at the sprawling ground, Ramdev took up a mike and frantically appealed to his supporters from the stage not to indulge in violence. He also quickly ran into the crowds, perhaps in the hope that police may not take him away. "Why am I being arrested at night without any information? I appeal to people to maintain calm," Ramdev shouted. His core supporters and close aides did throw a human ring around him to prevent police from whisking him away. But it did not work. In no time, clashes erupted between security personnel and Ramdev supporters, some of whom armed themselves with iron rods, fire extinguishers and what appeared to be baseball bats. As some of them hurled stones at police, the security forces hit back viciously. Some 30 people with minor injuries were admitted to a nearby hospital, an official said. A few minor fires erupted on the high stage. The sound system was dismantled. Not only did some policemen throw back the stones hurled at them, but others fired tear gas, choking and blinding hundreds. Men and women, who had been sleeping until an hour ago, fled in different directions. Amid the confusion, police personnel got on to the stage and pushed away the organisers and others. Those who refused to get off were hit with batons. Quickly, Baba Ramdev -- who enjoys a wide following in north India -- was physically lifted and carried away, further angering his supporters. Home Secretary G.K. Pillai later told IANS that he was being taken to his ashram in Hardwar in Uttarakhand and was expected to be there by lunch time. Police said the reason for his removal was that Ramlila ground was given for the yoga camp and not for protests. The police action drew sharp criticism from civil society members and opposition parties. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said: "It is an attack on democracy." Swami Agnivesh, a leading member of social reformer Anna Hazare's anti-graft movement, distanced himself from Ramdev but termed the police action as "unfortunate". But the ruling Congress justified the operation against a "thug" who had cheated the nation. "You cannot allow people like Ramdev to run riot in Delhi. He had said he was going to have a yoga shivir but he was trying to agitate people. The administration in its own business is justified. This has been done in public interest," Congress' Digvijay Singh said. But Ramdev's supporters were angry. "What they have done is disgusting. It is barbarous," thundered a former Indian Navy officer who said he had come from Chandigarh to offer his support to Ramdev's fast against unending corruption and black money stashed abroad by rich Indians. An angry young man compared the crackdown with the earlier Egyptian protests. "Even in Egypt they allowed people to demonstrate for so long. Look at this country," he said, clearly disgusted. A young woman accused police of misbehaving with her -- and other women. Within two hours of the operation, the Ramlila ground was in a shambles and looked like a war zone. In the morning it wore a deserted look with scattered, unclaimed articles lying around. The midnight police action came just about 14 hours after Ramdev went on his indefinite fast after his talks with senior government ministers failed. Earlier, the government had opened talks with the controversial yoga icon whose demands include immediate steps by the government to bring back huge wealth illegally stashed abroad by rich Indians and tough punishment against those who indulge in graft, among others. Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, who was negotiating for the government, had criticised Ramdev for continuing the protest despite an agreement with the government. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB.
