Ramdev not to call off fast, demands food for supporters at Ambedkar Stadium

New Delhi, Aug 13 (ANI): Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev on Monday said that he would not end his fast, and demanded that the government should provide food to all his supporters at the Ambedkar Stadium here.

The yoga guru accused the government of spending money on 'terrorists lodged in jail'.

"Whose responsibility is it to feed the people here? This government does not love the people and a government that doesn't love its people has no right to rule. This government is willing to spend Rs 25 crores on terrorists," he said.

Baba Ramdev said any movement becomes successful only if the people lend their support to it, and added that several political parties such as the NDA, including the BJP, and the TDP are supporting his campaign.

The yoga guru also claimed to have the support of Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, in his agitation committed to the nation's welfare.

"Any movement is victorious if the people support it. And the people are with this movement Mulayam Singh, Mayawati, Naveen Patnaik , all NDA parties and BJP support our movement," he said.

Baba Ramdev and his supporters refused to leave the Ambedkar Stadium here earlier this evening despite the Delhi Police formally announcing that they are free to go.

Delhi Police, however, appears keen to ensure that the yoga guru's supporters disburse peacefully.

Delhi Police has lifted Section 65 imposed on the yoga guru and thousands of his supporters and allowed all those detained to walk free. The yoga guru was earlier in the day arrested under Section 65 of Delhi Police Act while he was marching to Parliament along with his supporters.

"Delhi police had detained you under Section 65 of Delhi Police Act. Now, you are legally free to go out from here," said Additional CP Devesh Srivastava.

Delhi Police had earlier this afternoon taken Baba Ramdev and his supporters into preventive custody at the Ranjit Singh flyover during the attempted march to Parliament.

Baba Ramdev was earlier denied permission for the march by the Delhi Police. He had been authorised only to hold a large sit-in at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan.

Baba Ramdev had earlier this evening said his biggest fault is that he is pitching his voice against black money and corruption and devoting himself to the nation's cause.

The yoga guru reiterated that he would not enter politics, but said that he would not let the corrupt emerge victorious in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

"We will defeat the corrupt in 2014 and ensure that those who are against black money and corruption emerge victorious. I will never come into politics or contest elections," he said.

Baba Ramdev urged all citizens of the country to court arrest for a day for the nation's cause, and emphasized that there can be no revolution without going to jail.

"I would first urge all to get in (into the Ambedkar Stadium). I would urge all to spend at least one day in prison. It is a matter of great honour for devoted citizens of the country to go to jail. There can be no revolution without going to jail. A jail is the penultimate place of a patriot," said Baba Ramdev.

"I would urge all citizens of all Delhi and nearby places to court arrest for at least a day and prove that crores of people are willing to go to jail. I would urge all to court arrest for a day and prove that the Indian prisons are smaller for people committed to the nation's cause," he added.

Baba Ramdev, who secured the support of the National Democratic Alliance ( NDA) and brought them on his platform at the Ramlila Maidan here today, earlier in the day declared that he would take his ongoing protest on black money and corruption to Parliament and vowed to oust Congress in the next Lok Sabha polls.

Baba Ramdev's last outing at the Ramlila Maidan, in June last year, saw a midnight police crackdown with authorities claiming that he violated norms agreed upon. He was caught by police, while trying to flee from the protesting venue in a woman's attire. (ANI)