69 Ramdev supporters on fast at Azad Maidan

Even though the Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi wore a vacant look on Sunday after the Delhi police detained Baba Ramdev, 69 activists in Mumbai continued with their indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan.

Even though the Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi wore a vacant look on Sunday after the Delhi police detained Baba Ramdev, 69 activists in Mumbai continued with their indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan.

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The Delhi police forcibly took away the yoga guru and his supporters were dispersed using tear gas. Protesters in the city were disappointed by the way the yoga guru and his supporters were dispersed by the police.

“The police action was as brutal as the Jallianwala bagh massacre. How can someone treat a person like Baba Ramdev in such a manner? Not only Baba, but many kids and women were hurt in the incident,” said Suresh Naik, president, Bharat Swabhiman Nyas.

According to the organisers, at least 3,000 people visited the maidan on the second day to show their support to the cause. “We will not stop our agitation till the time Baba instructs us to do so. But we think it will go on at least till Thursday,” said Naik.

“There was absolutely no provocation [for the police to lathi-charge] since the crowd was not violent. The UPA government is giving the people even more reasons to criticise it,” she said.

Hinting that the explanation given by the government couldn’t be the only reasons for the police action, she said, “If the government is saying that there was no permission to stage a protest, then why did government officials receive Baba Ramdev at the airport? We have been opposing the other factors of the protest, but this act is not justifiable.”