New Delhi: Back on a three-day symbolic fast at Ramlila Maidan, the same venue where he was hounded out in a midnight police crackdown 14 months ago, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Friday raised the issue of farmers’ suicides, saying the Land Acquisition Act needed to be abolished.
He also requested the people to join his ongoing fast against graft which began yesterday.
Urging the people, he said, ‘Come join my movement, support me and celebrate the festival of Janmashtami with me at Ramlila Maidan.’
He also announced that some well known personalities will join his fast against graft.
‘We will see some big names on this platform very soon,’ the Yoga guru said.
The Baba has also given a countrywide call to the people to come and join his fight against corruption.
He asked his followers to display by a show of hands those willing to join him in Haridwar as trainees against corruption, for a period of three years.
Thousands of people began the day at the Ramlila Maidan with synchronised yoga but they insisted they were there only to give strength to Yoga guru’s campaign against corruption.
If the Olympics gave a medal for corruption, India could have won a gold, yoga guru Baba Ramdev said on Friday as thousands poured into the Ramlila Grounds here for day two of his fast.
Calling on all of India to support his agitation against black money and graft, Ramdev said: “India could have won gold if there was a competition for corruption in the Olympics.
The crowds, which had started gathering since 8 a.m., cheered and clapped enthusiastically. To which Ramdev said: “This is not a matter to applaud.”
He started the day with a yoga camp, before addressing the crowd in a speech that pitched for his movement against black money as well as for a stringent Lokpal bill, an independent Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and a citizen’s charter – also the demands of the now disbanded Team Anna.
“If the CBI is made independent, politics will become clean, because CBI is being used to blackmail opposition leaders,” he said, echoing Team Anna leaders.
The three-day symbolic fast started Thursday. Organisers are expecting more crowds over the extended three-day weekend. (IANS)
