Ramdev snubbed on first day of his anti-Cong tour

Botad Assembly constituency is represented by minister Saurabh Patel,a Modi loyalist.

The ceremony,Bhagwat Saptah yagna,was organised at Rokadiya Hanuman in Botad and its main donor was Vallu Boriya,who happens to be a staunch supporter of Congress leaders like Shankersinh Vaghela and Shaktisinh Gohil.

“It was a religious programme. When I came to know that Baba Ramdev was engaged in an anti-Congress campaign,I requested all the seers present there not to give political colour to the programme. So there was no speech by Baba Ramdev at Botad,” said Boriya,identifying himself as a supporter of Vaghela and Gohil but not exactly a “Congressman”.

He said he learnt about Ramdev coming to speak at the event around 11 am on Tuesday. “I immediately contacted the seers,including Dharamswarupji,and requested them not to allow Ramdev on the dais. I told them Ramdev was currently on a political tour of the state to mobilise people for the BJP and hence,his presence on the dais would sent a different message to people. Moreover,Bhagwat Saptah is purely a religious programme and no one should use it for political purposes,” Boriya said.

“Although Ramdev arrived on time,Dharmaswarup did not allow him on the dais. He gave him a dakshina of Rs 2,100 and requested him to leave,” Boriya said.

However,Bharat Swabhiman’s Gujarat representative Varun Pandya,who was accompanying Ramdev,denied that any such episode has occurred. “At some places,he made speeches and at other places,he simply wished people and marched forward,” he said.

The regional secretary of Bharat Swabhiman Group,Shishpal,said Ramdev did appeal voters to throw out the Congress earlier in the day at Amalpar village in Botad taluka from where his journey began.

On Monday,Baba Ramdev had openly backed Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s candidature for prime ministership at a meet in Gandhinagar where he also attacked the Congress.