Anna, Ramdev go separate ways, but will back each other

HT

New Delhi, 05 June 2012: A day after they came together for an agitation, social activist Anna Hazare and yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Monday appeared headed for separate anti-graft protests, even as they vowed to support each other in their future moves.

 

Ramdev met BJP President Nitin Gadkari and secured his backing for the fight to bring back black money stashed in foreign banks. The yoga guru has also sought appointments with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and leaders of other political parties.

 

Hazare, who held a day-long meeting with his core committee, announced that in case the government did not set-up a special investigation team to probe allegations against the Prime Minister and 14 of his cabinet colleagues by July 24, a fresh agitation would be started from the next day.

Faced with a volley of questions about the future relationship with Ramdev, the veteran activist replied: "We have invited Baba Ramdev to participate in our indefinite fast from July 25. We have also decided to participate in the agitation called by Ramdev from August 9."  

 

Asked about Ramdev’s objection to his team taking naming ministers and leaders while mentioning the allegations against them, Hazare replied: "It is a matter of perception, maybe he thinks that way."

 

Hazare’s colleague and former law minister Shanti Bhushan was more direct in addressing the issue: "The fight against corruption has to be fought together, but we will decide the way on how to take our struggle forward and Baba Ramdev will decide about his future course. We want to support each other, actions can be independent."

 

The meeting was also attended by Justice Santosh Hegde, Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Kiran Bedi, among others.

 

Ramdev also said, "there are no differences", between him and Team Anna and that Hazare was a respected figure who had done a lot for the country.