Ramdev rally crowd thin,aides claim people are sitting closer

Organisers,however,refused to admit that attendance was low.

“You can’t see a lot of people because they are sitting close together. More will turn up in the evening,” said Ramdev aide Jaideep Arya.

Many of the protesters had stepped out,taking advantage of the pleasant weather and the Janmashtami festivities,said a volunteer.

At the food tent,the serpentine queues from Thursday thinned to a trickle and the 200-odd volunteers,in charge of meal preparation,found it easy to serve those present.

“Demand is very low as compared to Thursday. We have switched off all but two stoves and told the men to take a breather,” said Satyaveer Singh who heads the kitchen.

Staff at the medical tent too took it easy,attending to complaints of headache,dehydration and vomiting in the afternoon.

“Most local residents cannot leave their jobs and stay here all day. Others may have gone sightseeing but will return in the evening,” said Shyambabu Singh,a volunteer.

“The crowd is always moving in and out. Some people have come to Delhi just for a day and returned home. Since it is a festival today,many have gone out,” said Ram Prakash Singh,who came Shahjahanpur,UP.

People began to return around 5 pm,in time for a mass Janamashtami celebration at the venue.