There also seems to be a clear evident crack within Team Anna over joining hands with Ramdev. Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal stormed out of the venue after Ramdev objected to Kejriwal taking names of MPs in his speech, which the yoga guru said was against the fast protocol.
Ramdev said the fight against graft was not against individuals. "Arvind Kejriwal should not have taken names. It could create controversy. Please don't see it as a personal attack. This fight is not against any individual," Ramdev said. Kejriwal in his speech had said that Parliament would never pass the Lokpal bill as long as MPs like Lalu Prasad, A Raja and Suresh Kalmadi were present.
Soon after Kejriwal, who was on fast along with Anna Hazare and the yoga guru, finished his speech, Ramdev took the microphone and said "today, we thought that we will not take any body's name. But Arvind took the names".
"We don't want any controversies. Arvind does not have any enmity with anyone. The names have been taken in some context. We are against personal criticism", he said.
During his speech, Kejriwal had attacked Manmohan Singh and his Cabinet colleagues whom Team Anna had accused of indulging in corruption.
However, clearing his stand Kejriwal later, while speaking to reporters, said that he had to leave as he was unwell and he has the greatest respect for Ramdev.
Kejriwal had said that no political party wanted a strong Lokpal Bill. "There are serious allegation against 15 ministers out of 34. That is why they are not passing Lokpal Bill. Manmohan Singh is the leader of those 34 ministers. There is allegation against Manmohan singh in coal allocation scam. 155 mines were given to the private companies without bidding and Manmohan singh was coal minister that time," he said.
"None of the investigating agency is neutral, all comes under the government. All cases should be handed over to special investigation team. We have written to the Prime Minister that all the cases should be handed over to fast track court," he added.
Meanwhile, talking about their future plans, Ramdev said they are launching a campaign seeking support from all Legislators on a strong Lokpal Bill. He said if his demands are not met by August 8, he will launch a mass agitation on August 9. The yoga guru further said that the campaign will target all officials from the Prime Minister to members of Gram Sabhas.
Earlier report:
Attacking the UPA government and threatening a fight to the finish by August on the blackmoney issue, Anna Hazare and Ramdev on Sunday sat on a day-long fast protesting against corruption.
Ramdev termed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh an "honest person", but asked him to make his Cabinet "corruption free”.
"The Prime Minister was forced to give statement on illegal mining. We all know that Manmohan Singh is an honest person and we all respect him. But people expect him to make his Cabinet corruption free...Please fulfill your democratic duties," Ramdev said during the joint one-day fast with Anna Hazare.
Recalling Singh's statement that hunger and malnutrition are a 'national shame', he said mere statements will not solve the problem.
Referring to the issue of blackmoney, he alleged that Rs 400 lakh crore of Indian money was stashed abroad and if the amount was brought back to the country, the nation would become "far superior" to China and the United States.
"We need to bring back blackmoney. I appeal to the people of the country to join this fight. We are intensifying this fight. From today, we are intensifying our protest to bring back blackmoney stashed abroad and want all of the countrymen to be part of the fight to finish by August," he said before the start of the fast.
He claimed that FDI in India worth Rs 20 lakh crore holds the 'key' to people involved in stashing blackmoney abroad. "If the government names the actual owners of the FDI, the puzzle to blackmoney will be solved," he said.
Seeking answers to the fall of the rupee and dipping GDP from Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Ramdev said the Indian economy will be strengthened if the blackmoney is brought back and the youth are given ample employment opportunities.
Recalling the police crackdown on his supporters last year, Ramdev claimed it was "Ravan lila" played out at the Ramlila grounds.
"Even Mahatma Gandhi had said that India needs its own laws. But we still have British era laws like the one on land acquisition and the Police Act. We need swadeshi laws and remove the archaic laws," he said.
The yoga guru wondered why Team Anna and his followers are dubbed as "villains" when they speak against corruption and Lokpal as a mechanism to deal with it when Mahatma Gandhi was most vocal against graft.
He claimed efforts by the government to tarnish the image of Team Anna members and his aides had failed to break the movement against corruption.
"Whenever we talk of corruption, those in the power and leaders of the ruling party maintain that laws are not made on the streets...We are not against anyone...There is no family feud. All we need is a corruption-free India," he said.
Team Anna member Santosh Hedge, who was not present at the fast venue, also lended his support to the joint protest.
"I have to go to Delhi today. My full support is with them. Anna and Ramdev have joined hands. Together this moment will go far ahead. I have no doubt that any political party will have to pass a strong Lokpal Bill. Political parties will not form institution against themselves," Hedge said.
The fast has been called to mark one year of Ramdev's last agitation at Ramlila ground, from where he was arrested in the middle of the night between June 3 and 4 last year.
Earlier, Anna Hazare and Ramdev visited the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat. Ramdev reached the samadhi along with a number of his supporters after taking out a march from the Delhi borders while Anna Hazare went there from Maharashtra Sadan where he was staying.
Before beginning their journey to Rajghat, Ramdev and his close aide Acharya Balkrishna went to Azad Hind Gram on Ttikrikalan on Delhi border and paid tributes to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Anna was accompanied by Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi.
Both Anna Hazare and Ramdev spent some time meditating at Rajghat. Ramdev also went to the nearby Shahid Park. The protest at Jantar Mantar is likely to see Anna and Ramdev announcing their strategy for the 2014 General Elections.
The one-day fast demanding bringing back blackmoney stashed abroad and against the corruption and corrupt system will have its echo in the state capitals as well with Ramdev's Bharat Swabhiman Andolan organising protests.
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