Ahead of their crucial meeting with Baba Ramdev on his proposed hunger strike from Saturday, several Cabinet ministers on Friday cancelled their scheduled visits, including finance minister Pranab Mukherjee who is leading the government team holding talks with him.

Indicating softening of his stand ahead of the crucial round of talks with the government, Baba Ramdev on Friday said a consensus seems to be emerging on all issues barring one or two between the two sides.

In a last-ditch effort to dissuade yoga guru Baba Ramdev from going ahead with his proposed fast against black money from Saturday, Union ministers Kapil Sibal and Subodh Kant Sahay met him at a hotel here, activists from Ramdev’s movement said.

With barely 24 hours left for his “satyagraha” against corruption and black money, the government on Friday initiated a fresh round of talks with Baba Ramdev to persuade him to give up his proposed agitation.

Union ministers Kapil Sibal and Subodh Kant Sahay on Friday failed to reach an agreement with Baba Ramdev even after four hours of talks on the yoga guru’s threat to go on an indefinite fast against corruption.

Stepping up his attack on Baba Ramdev, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh on Friday alleged that RSS was behind the yoga guru’s indefinite fast beginning on Saturday.

Social activist Medha Patkar on Saturday ended her nine-day hunger strike to protest eviction of slum-dwellers from Mumbai's Khar suburb after the state government agreed to her demands, Patkar's associate said on Saturday.

Rebel leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy launched his 48-hour 'Lakshya Deeksha', hunger-strike for farmers, on the banks of river Krishna here on Tuesday.