New Delhi, Aug 14: Yoga guru Ramdev was at his demagogic best today while winding off his six-day-old fast in front of several thousands of his loyal supporters.
Ramdev threw barbs at the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, saying he should quit his post and sit and read Holy Guru Granth Sahib. He even went to the extent of calling him a ‘robot'.
Without naming Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Ramdev mentioned his own rural upbringing, and said he was born in a hut and knew what poverty was. “I don't need to enact a drama by staying in the huts of poor people”, the yoga guru said, a clear reference to Rahul Gandhi staying in the huts of Dalits before the UP assembly polls.
But, the most important point that emerged from his rambling speeech was that the saffron guru would not sit on indefinite fasts any more, and there would be no big agitation till the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Ramdev said: “ Till the Lok Sabha elections, unless otherwise it is very important, we will not launch any big agitation. Our workers will do both - sangharsh (fight) and sewaa (service)”
Explaining this, Ramdev said, his workers will carry out a nationwide campaign to tell people that the Congress was the bane of the country, be it the issue of corruption, pricerise or any other.
Ramdev even went to the extent of bragging that if he had wanted, his supporters could have prevented the Prime Minister from unfurling the tricolour at the Red Fort on Independence Day. “But then, I thought, those who do not have self-respect, what's the point in insulting any body”, said Ramdev.
“I come from a poor background, and these ‘khandaani' (from well-bred background) leaders are not ‘khandaani' they are ‘beimaans' (dishonest). “These people do not know the difference between a red chilly and a green chilly, they do not know whether bajra grows in field or on trees.
I don't enact drama by staying in poor people's huts. I was born poor. (Hum wahan se paida ho kay aaye hain).”, said the yoga guru.
Clearly aware of the penetrating questions that he may face soon, Ramdev said: “People may ask us what was the outcome of our fast. We are not beggars. We will fight and we will get our demands accepted, come what may.” “We are not demanding a separate nation like Khalistan. We are demanding that the nation's money be brought back....
“In the next elections, we will tell people to defeat the Congress candidates, but we will keep the cards close to our chest about which candidates to support”, said Ramdev.
“We will be asked, what happened to your decisive agitation. You tell them it was decided here that from now on we will boycott the corrupt politicians and tell people that it is the Congress which is the reason for their poverty and pricerise”, the yoga guru said.
“The result of any protest is not determined by the government but by the people. I am happy that over 400 MPs in Parliament supported our demands. This government has cheated the people and Parliament.”
“Congress hatao, desh bachao (Remove Congress, save the country),” Ramdev said in his speech lasting an hour and added that except Congress all parties are together on the issue of black money.
After spending the night with hundreds of supporters at the Ambedkar Stadium even after their release, Ramdev broke his fast by sipping a glass of juice offered by a boy and a girl.
Charging the UPA government with failing to bring back black money, he said the government would have lost if there was any voting on the issue in Parliament.
“If there was voting in Parliament on blackmoney, the government would have lost it. If Mulayam Singh and Mayawati withdraw support, the government will fall in one day,” he said, adding it has no right to continue.
“We are not leaving this place defeated but we are going as victorious. We have made all parties come together (on the issue of black money). We have not targeted or tarnished Congress. It was their own doing.
“The government said they have brought out a White Paper but what they have brought out is a jhoot patra (paper of lies),” Ramdev said.
Preceding Ramdev, was the feisty criminal lawyer, currently BJP MP Ram Jethmalani, who told the crowd that if the Congress was defeated in the 2014 LS polls, he would get nearly half the ministers in the central cabinet behind bars.
