BJP Launches Nation-Wide Protests

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responded to Baba Ramdev's arrest by launching nation-wide protests and terming June 6th as a "Black Day".

As a part of these nation-wide protests launched, BJP members staged a dharna in the city. Upto 70 leaders, including M Venkaiah Naidu, Bandaru Dattatreya and G Kishen Reddy, were arrested for being a part of the protest.

Addressing those gathered around the Ambedkar statue near the Secretariat, the venue of the protest, G Kishen Reddy and Bandaru Dattatreya condemned the government for arresting Baba Ramdev. They spoke about the Centre's involvement in the 2G and the Commonwealth Games (CWG) scams, and questioned if one did not have the right to protest against the corruption rocking the nation.

Senior BJP leader L K Advani, who was in Chennai on Monday morning, also voiced out his dissent over the arrest of Baba Ramdev at the Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi, on Sunday night. He compared the incident to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre during the British Raj, and to the arrest of various opposition leaders in June 1975, during the time of internal Emergency.

Terming the lathicharge on Baba's supporters as "naked fascism", Advani asked Congress and UPA President Sonia Gandhi to play a more proactive role in the proceedings in the country.

Senior BJP leaders including L K Advani and Sushma Swaraj are scheduled to meet Sonia Gandhi on Monday afternoon to discuss anti-corruption issues with her.