Digvijay Singh: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is BJP’s Plan C

Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh, Thursday, claimed that after Baba Ramdev and Anna Hazare, ‘Art of Living’ founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar would start a ‘campaign’ soon.

Digvijay tweeted: “Plan A - Baba Ramdev. Crashed. Plan B- Anna. ? Plan C - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar soon to start his campaign.”

Later talking to reporters Digvijay said that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was trying to bring in Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in their campaign against the government, while urging the spiritual guru not to get involved in this.

Singh said that the RSS had earlier brought in yoga guru Baba Ramdev and social activist Anna Hazare in the campaign.

"First they brought Baba Ramdev, and when he was exposed they came with Anna. We have heard now they are trying to bring Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji," he said.

“I have always been saying from day one that all these are over all plans of the RSS, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) combine. They want to divert the attention of the people of the country. From the issue of involvement of Sangh activists in terror act in Malegaon, Ajmer dargah, Hyderabad, Samjhauta express, so it’s overall plan to divert attention from corruption done by BJP members,” he added.

He further said that UPA government has taken all positive steps against issues of corruption under the leadership of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to check corruption.

“Right to Information Act was brought by us, Money Laundering Act was done by us…have taken action against corrupt people,” he added.

Further criticising the BJP, Singh asked: “Why BJP did not register the case against Bangaru Laxman under the prevention of corruption act when he was caught taking money on tape.”

“Why BJP MP was not sent to jail when caught on TV or camera taking bribe. Why case was not registered against Jaya Jaitley when she was caught on tape striking a deal with arms dealer in Defence Minister’s house. BJP record on charges of corruption has been pathetic,” he added.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has responded to Digvijay’s ‘plan’ tweet by saying that his comment is not worth responding too and that he doesn’t fear any one and will continue to raise his voice against the malice of corruption.

The Bangalore-based spiritual guru also advised Digvijay to enroll for the ‘Art of Living’ course.

The BJP also responded to Digvijay’s comment. Party spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad said that the BJP must thank Digvijay for working to ensure the downfall of the Congress.

Baba Ramdev will start long 'yatra' against corruption today

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev will embark on "a 1,00,000 km long yatra" on Today from Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh to awaken people about corruption and black money.

Ramdev paid rich tributes at the samadhi of Rani Laxmi Bai on arrival here today. Then he left for Jhansi.

The Yoga Guru told reporters on this occasion that there were "two kinds of people in this country, honest and traitors".

He claimed that all honest people were with him in his fight against corruption and black money.

Aim of the yatra was to awaken people on the issue of "Rs 4,00,000 crore black money stashed in the foreign countries", he said.

The yatra will end in Prayag, Uttar Pradesh. When asked whether he feared that Centre would deal with yatra the same way it dealt with his agitation in Delhi, Ramdev said the government had learnt its lessons, and would not repeat the Delhi act.

The fight against the corruption was like a "religious war" to him, he said.

Govt may let Anna fast at JP Park for 7 days

The negotiations between the Government and Team Anna are still on over the proposed fast against corruption by Anna Hazare.

Sources have told that the government is considering offering Anna Hazare the JP Park as a venue for his fast against corruption for seven days.

According to sources, the government has offered Ramlila Maidan as an alternative venue for protest fast by Anna Hazare and his team. The restrictions on the crowd and vehicles are likely to be removed since Ramlila Maidan is a much larger ground. The Delhi police is likely to withdraw section 144 from JP Park.

DCP Crime Ashok Chand is believed to be negotiating with Team Anna inside the Tihar Jail and has given them two options for the venue - JP Park or Ramlila Grounds.

Top aides of Anna Hazare - Kiran Bedi, Medha Patkar, Swami Agnivesh, Prashant Bhushan, Manish Sisodia and Akhil Gogoi - are with him inside Tihar Jail.

Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravishankar is also a part of the negotiation process underway inside the Tihar Jail. Yoga guru Baba Ramdev was denied permission to enter the jail premises to meet Anna Hazare.

Earlier, sources has told that the government is engaging in back channel talks with Team Anna. The Congress core group met on Wednesday morning over the Anna issue. The Prime Minister, AK Antony, P Chidambaram, Pranab Mukherjee and Ahmed Patel attended the meeting.

"We will find a way out of this impasse," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is believed to have said. The PM also made a statement in Parliament today on the crackdown on Team Anna on Tuesday

Congress core committee to meet over Lokpal issue

With Gandhian activist Anna Hazare refusing to leave the Tihar Jail, the core committee of Congress is to meettoday to finalise its strategy for dealing with the situation.

Anna Hazare was arrested Tuesday ahead of his proposed fast for a stronger anti-corruption law and taken to Tihar Jail. Authorities later declared him free but the Gandhian refused to walk out of the jail until he was allowed to hold his planned fast without any fetters.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, and other senior congress leaders attended the party's core committee meeting at 7, Race Course Road, in New Delhi.

Sources say that the Core Group decided to call an all-party meeting on the Lokpal issue, especially to debate the provisions like should the Prime Minister be brought under the ambit of Lokpal or not.

The Core Committee held a meeting yesterday also on these and related issues.

In recent days, the Lokpal issue and the police crackdown on yoga guru Baba Ramdev's camp on the intervening night of June 4-5 have been like an albatross around the government's neck. It had to face a lot of criticism at the hands of the Opposition parties, especially the BJP.

The Core Group was also supposed to discuss the Telangana issue but sources said there was no discussion on Telangana.In April, Jantar Mantar became the base camp for lakhs of Indians who supported Mr Hazare as he fasted for nearly a week.

Satellite protests in cities across India had stumped the government, which agreed to Mr Hazare's demands. He wanted a new law against corruption to be enacted, and he wanted activists who represent civil society to formally draft that law. After arguing that legislation was the prerogative of Parliament, the government gave in. Mr Hazare and four activists, including Mr Kejriwal, formed one half of the Lokpal Bill drafting committee; five senior ministers formed the other.

But of late, the movement has run into rough weather after an impasse between the two sides over drafting the bill. The activists slammed the government accusing it of turning the Lokpal Bill into a "Jokepal Bill.

Baba Ramdev’s aide Balakrishna has gone “missing''

Haridwar Police said on Tuesday, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev’s aide Balakrishna has gone “missing” two days after the CBI had registered a case against him for allegedly furnishing fake educational degree for procuring a passport.

Haridwar SSP Kewal Khurana said, The police have pasted the CBI notice outside Divya Yog mandir ashram residence of Mr. Balkrishna, in which he has been summoned to appear on July 28 for questioning in the investigating agency’s office here.
 Mr. Khurana said the search for him would be intensified once the ‘Kanwar’ mela is over in the next few days.

A missing person report was lodged in Kankhal Police Station of Haridwar on Monday night by Mr. Balkrishna’s gunner Jayendra singh Aswal after he failed to locate him.
In his report, Mr. Aswal said he reached Mr. Balkrishna’s residence to accompany him to his Patanjali yogpeeth office on Monday morning, but he asked him to go to the office alone saying that he would leave later.

However, Mr. Aswal said Mr. Balkrishna did not come. After returning to the ashram, Mr. Aswal inquired about him but his whereabouts could not be traced following which he filed the report with the police.

Ashram officials told police that Mr. Balkrishna had gone for some “urgent work” and he would soon return.

The CBI has registered a case against him on Sunday under section 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) for procuring the fake degree and violation of section 12 of Passport Act (knowingly furnishing false documents for getting passport).