Journalism of Courage
Baba Ramdev today got support from the BJP and genuflection from its president as he reached out to political parties for an apolitical agitation against corruption and black money.
Nitin Gadkari bent to touch the Babas feet as he arrived to meet the BJP chief. Our culture tells us that when a man wearing saffron clothes visits you,you take his blessings. I feel proud that I took Ramdev Babas blessings. It is our culture. Those who dont follow this culture may behave differently, Gadkari said.
BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman described Gadkaris action as simply a measure of respect to a guru,a baba,a saint.
Gadkari compared Baba Ramdevs agitation to bring back black money stashed abroad to Indias struggle for independence.
The fight against black money is not a political agitation but a national agitation. We will support anybody who takes up this fight. Just as Mahatma Gandhi had told the British to go back,Ramdev is demanding that the black money be brought back, he said.
Substantively,the BJP seemed to have decided to back Ramdev on corruption and black money more openly than the support it extended to the Jan Lokpal movement.
There is a shift in the partys stand. The Jan Lokpal and legal-political issues it has engendered is not something the BJP is comfortable with. The unease was reflected in Parliament and in dealings with senior members of Team Anna, a top leader said.
Gadkari,who met Ramdev for an hour,said it was necessary to bring back Indian black money for the poor,the farmers and the labourers,and to deal with inflation and economic problems. No politics should be brought into this,he said,and Sonia Gandhi should cooperate in building an environment to fight corruption.
The Baba said he had written to Sonia seeking an appointment. I will meet A B Bardhan (CPI),Sharad Yadav (JD-U),Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena),Prakash Karat (CPM),Lalu Yadav (RJD) and Chandrababu Naidu (TDP) too, he said.
