"It is not correct that I was equally responsible. Delhi police edited the CCTV footage which was shown to the court. Let me read the entire verdict then I will react to what the court has said about holding me partly responsible for the incident. Is holding protest a crime? Ramdev said.
"Government misused it powers and violated human rights. Amicus curiae had given all proofs to the court that senior police officers were taking directions from the Home Ministry. I told the crowd to maintain peace. I could not have done more. I told the cops present there to arrest me and told them not to do lathi charge but they did not listen," Ramdev said in a press conference.
He said that he will continue his agitation against corruption. "Let me read the entire verdict then I will react to what the court has said about holding me partly responsible for the incident. Is holding protest a crime? Ramdev said.
The Supreme Court has pulled up yoga guru Baba Ramdev and the Delhi Police in the Ramlila Maidan crackdown case, saying that both were responsible. The Supreme Court ruling said that Ramdev is guilty of negligence in the midnight crackdown case, but at the same time the court also said that the police crackdown on June 5, 2011 was unnecessary.
Observing that it was a glaring example of trust deficit between the people and the government, the court also blamed Ramdev, who was on an anti-corruption fast along with his followers at Ramlilla Maidan, for the violence.
Senior Supreme lawyer Ram Jethmalani said that Home Minister P Chidambram should step down.
"Who gave power to the Home Minister of India not to allow the demonstration and deport people from Delhi. The entire crowd was sleeping when the attack took place," he said.
However, he said they won't comment on the judgment until they get it. "The SC has held police action unwarranted. "SC has held that crowd was peaceful and the police is guilty of aggression. Somebody should resign. Political bosses are responsible for this," he said.
Earlier, the court said that it was a case of police excess and the police who are meant to bring peace had themselves breached the peace.
The bench further observed that the police and the state could have avoided that tragic incident in which one person died and several others were injured.
"It is a glaring example of trust deficit between the people governing and the people being governed," the bench said, adding that police action is meant to bring peace but they breached peace themselves.
Blaming both Ramdev and the Delhi Police, the court directed criminal prosecution of police personnel and Ramdev's supporters who had behaved violently during the incident.
The SC bench said that the policemen had assaulted sleeping victims. There was abuse of power by the Delhi Police and fundamental rights of people were violated, the bench said.
It said a person of the stature of Ramdev was expected to urge his supporters to leave the ground. He is bound by legal and moral obligations, it added.
The court awarded a compensation of Rs five lakh for the family members of Raj Bala, who had died in the incident. Twenty five per cent of the amount would come from Ramdev's trust.
The bench also awarded a compensation of Rs 50,000 for those who suffered grievous injuries in the incident and Rs 25,000 for those with simple injuries.
The apex court passed the verdict after taking suo motu cognisance of media reports showing brutality of police action against the sleeping followers of Ramdev, including women and children at Ramlila Maidan on the midnight of June 4-5 last year during his anti-corruption agitation. The bench had reserved the verdict on January 20.
Ramdev had alleged that the police action was carried out on the instructions of their political masters and demanded action against all people who had directed the crackdown.
Ramdev was agitating along with his followers against corruption and demanding that the UPA government must make sincere efforts to bring back black money illegally parked in foreign bank accounts by tax evaders.
The Delhi Police, however, claimed Ramdev had instigated his followers to indulge in violence, forcing the police to act at that time of the night.
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