Meeting with Keshubhai was personal: Ramdev

Claiming his brief meeting with Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) chief Keshubhai Patel as personal, yoga guru Baba Ramdev refused to reveal anything about his interaction with on Wednesday on the Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway.

“I was coming towards south Gujarat and met Keshubhai on my way. We talked for a while but there is nothing to share. It was a personal meeting,” said Ramdev while talking in Bilimora town of Navsari district. Ramdev is holding a free yoga camp in the town.

His meeting with Keshubhai is being looked as an interesting development in Gujarat politics. Ramdev met Keshubhai soon after attending a meeting organized by Hindu Dharma Maha Sabha (HDMS) at Swaminarayan Gurukul at Chharodi in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, chief minister Narendra Modi and VHP leader Ashok Singhal were present in the meeting. Ramdev left the venue after a brief participation and left for Bilimora in Navsari district. He met Keshubhai on the express highway and both continued talking for around an hour, said a source. However, on Thursday, both Ramdev and Keshubhai refused to disclose details of their meeting. “It was not a planned meeting. We met each other coincidently on the highway.

Baba was going towards Navsari while I was coming to Surat. I personally admire him as a yoga guru and practise yoga regularly. There was no other reason to have discussion with Baba,” said Keshubhai, during his Surat visit on Thursday.

No politics at yoga venue

Election officials ordered the organizers of free yoga camp of Baba Ramdev in Bilimora of Navsari district to remove banners against Congress party put up at the venue. The officials also instructed them to stop circulation of handbills which allegedly contained writeups violating model code of conduct. C P Nima, additional collector, and Suresh Sheth, nodal officer, inspected the venue and ordered the organizers to remove the posters.

Bapa calls Modi Goebbels

Keshubhai Patel, founder president of Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) compared chief minister Narendra Modi with Hitler’s minister Joseph Goebbels, during his visit to the city. Keshubhai said Modi is a liar and that the government hasn’t appointed a lokayukta for nine years to cover his lies. The state government has reduced the days of the legislative assembly session from an average of 60 to 30.

Ramdev wants Sonia, Rahul to ‘clarify’ on Herald loan issue

Yoga guru Ramdev on Saturday asked Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul to clear the air over charges that the party lent Rs 90 crore to a company that published the now-defunct National Herald newspaper.

“They (Sonia and Rahul) should come out in open and clear the air over the issue instead of clarifying through party spokespersons,” he said addressing a yoga camp here.

“Political parties should not be run like private limited companies,” he said referring to Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy’s charges against Sonia and Rahul Gandhi over acquisition of Associated Journals that published the newspaper to which Congress gave a loan of over Rs 90 crore.

Ramdev is campaigning against Congress by organising yoga camps across Gujarat ahead of Assembly elections slated for December.

“Congress party is like a cancer for the country. Voters in Gujarat should keep that party at bay,” he said, adding, “I think people of Gujarat have decided to not let Congress raise its head in the state.”

“India is lagging behind the US, China and Japan on development front due to the corrupt Congress rule and black money stashed away in foreign banks,” he said. Continuing his tirade, Ramdev said, “As Congress has forgotten the principles of Mahatma Gandhi, it will be doomed in the elections.”

Ramdev lands in state, backs CM for PM post

Says charges against Gadkari are about a ‘technical scam’, will campaign against the Congress in state till November 8.

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Monday launched his anti-Congress campaign and made it clear he backed Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s candidature for the prime minister’s post.

Calling Modi a “Shikhar Purush”, Ramdev said without naming Modi, “One person who is one of the charismatic leaders and who has the gumption to lead India happens to be from Gujarat.”

While exhorting people to defeat the Congress, the yoga guru termed the allegations against BJP president Nitin Gadkari as a “technical ghotala (scam)”.

Lashing out at Congress, Ramdev said, “I will campaign against the Congress. Sabse bada papi to Congress hi hai (Congress is the biggest sinner). This party has done maximum damage to the country. Since I have had close ties with Gujarat for 20 years, it is my ‘karmabhoomi’ from where,” he said.

The yoga guru is scheduled to start the fourth leg of his “Swabhimaan Yatra” from Alampur village, which is 65 kms from Bhavnagar. Ramdev is expected to be in Gujarat till November 8 and will tour Halol, Nadiad, Anand, Kheda and Bilimora, where he will hold “Yog Shibirs”. Sources said Modi may make an impromptu appearance on the dais with Baba Ramdev at a Yoga Shibir.

On being quizzed about there being no Lokayukta in Gujarat, Ramdev said the new government would have to uphold the post of Lokpal.

He denied he has political ambitions. “I will never contest any elections nor will I be part of any political party, but I will campaign for a party that brings back all the black money stashed away by the current ruling party in banks abroad.”

Baba Ramdev prevented from talking on political issues

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, who has been touring Gujarat campaigning against Congress, faced the ire of organizers in Botad town of Bhavnagar on Tuesday. According to sources, Ramdev was invited to attend a 108 Kundi Yagna in the town. However, one of the chief donors of the programme, Vallabh Boriya, a Congress supporter, made it clear to him that he should not use the platform to speak about any political issues.

After getting this instruction, Baba Ramdev left early from this programme for yet another function at Alampar village in Umrala taluka of Bhavnagar district. He did not address the gathering here and only met his followers directly at the venue.

Baba has been a vocal critic of the Congress government at the Center and has openly asked people to vote against the party in the state assembly polls. He also came out in support of Anna Hazare and his movement against corruption and faced the Delhi police’s ire at the Red Fort last year.