Union minister Beni Prasad Verma on Saturday hit out at Baba Ramdev for playing politics, saying the government’s negotiators should not hold talks with him.
Saying that Baba Ramdev’s hungerstrike is “sponsored by the BJP”, he said: “There is no need to talk to Baba Ramdev who has been backed by the BJP in his hungerstrike.”
Mr Verma, also the minister of state (independent) for steel, wanted that the Congress should hold rallies across the country to expose people like Baba Ramdev and the BJP on the corruption issue.
“The Congress should prepare for a confrontation. We are bigger than Ramdev. Therefore, a rally should be organised in Delhi and other parts of the country against Ramdev,” he said.
Besides, he said, the way Baba Ramdev has been conducting himself, it shows that he was in politics. “If this is the case, why should there be any dialogue with him?” Mr Verma told reporters.
Demanding an inquiry into the assets of Baba Ramdev, Mr Verma alleged that the yoga guru played tricks to see that four Union ministers met him at the airport two days back.
He charged the Baba with playing a “fraud” by going ahead with the hungerstrike despite the four ministers, led by Mr Pranab Mukherjee, meeting him.
If the Baba says that 99 per cent of his demands have been accepted by the government, then why he has gone on fast, Mr Verma said.
Asked about comments of AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh on the yoga guru, he said: “Digvijay will not speak anything without proof.”
Mr Verma also lamented the presence of the four Union ministers at the Delhi airport to greet Baba Ramdev.