TDP, TRS, LSP Condemn Ramdev's Arrest

Baba Ramdev's arrest on Sunday night has resulted in a spurt of rallies and protests in the city.

Condemning the government's attempt to disrupt the peaceful protest launched by the yoga guru, hundreds of protestors took to the streets on Monday morning.

The members of Bharat Swabhiman Trust and Patanjali Yog Shivir took out a silent rally from the Indira Park to the Mahatma Gandhi statue on MG Road, where they staged a dharna. 8 members of the group, including the Trust's president G Sridhar Rao, were reportedly arrested when the group tried to proceed towards the Raj Bhavan.

At Tarnaka, Akhil Bharathiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) conducted a march, and upto 20 students were taken into police custody as a result.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President N Chandrababu Naidu, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhar Rao and Lok Satta Party (LSP) supremo Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan condemned the government's action against Baba Ramdev, and termed the police activity as "undemocratic". They also objected to the firing of tear gas shells and the lathicharge on Baba's supporters.

On June 4th, after the Centre's attempt to talk Baba out of his proposed indefinite hunger strike failed, the yoga guru launched his protest at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi. He demanded that all the black money stashed away in foreign tax havens be brought back to the country.

He had stated that the objective of his indefinite fast was to save the country from coruption, and to ensure that the poor have a chance of embracing a better life.

Overwhelmed by the support being garnered by Baba Ramdev's protest, the Centre had upto 5,000 security force personnel, including the Delhi Police and the Rapid Action Force, gherao the Ramlila Maidan on Sunday night, and sleeping protestors awoke to find the police in their midst.

The police tried to arrest Ramdev, but the latter jumped off the stage and into the midst of women supporters, and gave the security forces the slip. The police, however, caught up with him and detained him for a few hours, and he was then permitted to leave Delhi.

The yoga guru surfaced in a white salwar khameez in Haridwar, covering his beard with his dupatta. He is currently continuing his fast in Haridwar.

Addressing the media, Baba stated that he would return to Delhi within a month to resume his stir there. He also revealed that he intends to take his protest to every rural and urban region in the country.