Ramdev’s illness due to probe into trusts’ fin transactions: Lalu Prasad

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Taking potshots at Ramdev, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Saturday said that his illness was not due to fast but for “other reasons” like probe into financial transactions of his trust.

Cautioning Ramdev against falling prey to the “designs of RSS and BJP, Mr Yadav said if Ramdev wants to join politics he should do it as his own and not at their behest.

“Ramdev is not a Yogi or a Baba. He is a trainer. He was treating people of their ailments and that was fine. But he fell prey to the designs of RSS and Sangh Parivar, who have virtually destroyed him. I have sympathies for him. He hailed from a poor family.

“I want to tell him that RSS and Sangh Parivar have pushed him to the brink of ruin. He should now break his fast and re-start his yoga exercises for others. If he has to come in politics, he can come on his own. Why he is getting into the machinations of RSS and BJP?” Mr Yadav said.

While criticising the government over police action at night in the Ramlila ground to evict Ramdev, Prasad ridiculed the manner in which the yoga guru tried to escape from the venue.

“He (Ramdev) claimed to teach Ashtang Yoga but what he did that night was Kudan Yoga (Jumping Yoga) after the police entered the camp. The monk got frightened. Why did he escape in a female dress?” Mr Yadav said.

On blackmoney agitation, he said Ramdev was “no new incarnation to fight against black money” and investigation by the government will unearth how much of this kind money is involved in Ramdev’s Trust.

The RJD chief also attacked Centre for its handling of Anna Hazare and Ramdev issues saying it “erred” in both.

“The Central government erred in agreeing to the demand of civil society members to include them in the joint committee to form Lokpal Bill draft and by sending ministers at the airport to receive the Baba,” Mr Yadav said.

He said that drafting of legislations is the Parliament’s job.

“Will we accept anything that anybody standing in the street says. This is a conspiracy against Parliament and the system. We will not allow the Constitution to be compromised to the whims of anybody.

“Government erred in including Hazare and his supporters in joint committee. What is their authority? This is a bad trend. We elected people will decide it. Drafting the Bill is the government's job after all,” Mr Yadav said.

He said that the government should hold no talks with Anna Hazare’s supporters or those of Ramdev and instead talk to the MPs.

At the same time he said that he was not against the Lokpal Bill but that has to be brought by the government and passed by the Parliament.

Mr Yadav also attacked the leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj for dancing at the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat saying it was “highly objectionable”.