There was ruckus at a press conference organised by Baba Ramdev in New Delhi today after a man threw black ink at the yoga guru. The attack reportedly left his left eye blackened.
The attacker has been identified as Kamran Siddiqui, a resident of Delhi who is said to be running an NGO named ‘Real Cause’. Following his attempt, the attacker was beaten up by Baba Ramdev’s supporters. His aides claim he had gained entry into the hall posing as a security.
At the press conference, the yoga guru was talking to reporters about his plans to campaign against black money holders in the upcoming Assembly elections. The presser was being held at the Constitutional Club in New Delhi, where he was seated along with Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy.
‘Black ink can’t stain my character’ says Yoga Guru
Trying to put up a brave front, the yoga guru said he was not deterred by such attacks and would continue his campaign against corruption with full force, “I spoke about bringing back black money to the country and giving it to the nation. I spoke about eradicating corruption. I spoke about turning a ‘loot-tantra’ to a real lok-tantra (democracy). And in return, as a prize this is what I have got. I don’t mind receiving black ink. I was also shown black flags. I did not care even then. By throwing ink on someone, one cannot malign his character,” he said.
Before the incident, Siddiqui had reportedly sought Baba Ramdev’s opinion on the 2008 Batla House encounter in which suspects of the Delhi serial blasts were killed. The yoga guru had ignored the question and soon after the attack took place. Siddiqui is a petitioner in the Batla House encounter case.
Baba Ramdev’s attacker Kamran Siddiqui arrested
NGO activist Kamran Siddiqui, who threw ink at yoga guru Ramdev, was on Saturday placed under arrest and a case of criminal assault and promoting enmity among communities lodged against him, police said.
“A case under sections 153 (promoting enmity among communities) and 355 (criminal assault) of Indian Penal Code has been registered against him,” a senior police official said. If convicted, he may be imprisoned for up to two years.
Siddiqui, who runs NGO Real Cause, threw ink at Ramdev during a press conference at Constitution Club this afternoon after the yoga guru reportedly said that the Batla House encounter was not fake.
Siddiqui, who was beaten up by Ramdev’s supporters, was detained from the spot and placed under arrest after a medical examination.
Anna Hazare condemns ink attack
Anna Hazare on Saturday condemned the ink attack on yoga guru Baba Ramdev in the capital and asserted that such attempts will not scare those working for people.
“This is not an attempt to blacken Baba Ramdev’s face, but an attempt to taint the country’s democracy,” Hazare said in a statement.
Hazare said the spotless characters of people cannot be disfigured by some ink which can be washed off in a couple of minutes.
“However, those people whose lives are tainted by corruption, goonda-giri and looting, cannot wash off their stains easily,” he said.
Hazare expressed his full support to Baba Ramdev’s struggle to improve the country and society.
“Carry on, we are with you,” he said.
RSS behind attack on Ramdev: Digvijaya Singh
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Saturday alleged there was a “well orchestrated conspiracy” by RSS behind the ink attack on yoga guru Ramdev and the NGO activist who did it was “anti Congress” and has links with BJP.
“I have seen the visuals of the person who threw ink at Baba Ramdev and it seems there is politics behind it. It seems to be a well orchestrated conspiracy. Kamran Sidique, who did it runs an NGO ‘Real Cause’.
He (Kamran) is “anti-Congress” from the very beginning and had opposed our candidate Pervej Hashmi in elections. It should be probed how much fund his NGO got from various government departments during NDA rule,” Singh told reporters in New Delhi.
Alleging that RSS was behind the incident, he said “people of Sangh were promoting Baba Ramdev like anything. He has, however, been exposed. Hence, they have enacted it to make him a hero,” he said.
Asked whether he sees it as case of match fixing between BJP and the accused, Singh said “definitely. That is what I am saying.”
Congress behind attack on Ramdev: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Holding the Congress responsible for incident in which black ink was thrown at yoga guru Baba Ramdev, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan demanded party president Sonia Gandhi’s apology for the “undemocratic act”.
“By indulging in this act against Ramdev, Congress has not only applied ink on yoga guru’s face, but has blackened the party’s face. The Congress chief should apologise to him for this unfortunate incident,” Chouhan told reporters in Indore.
BJP condemns attack on Ramdev
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday condemned the ink attack on yoga guru Baba Ramdev.
Condemning the ‘ink attack’ on yoga guru Ramdev, senior BJP leader LK Advani on Saturday demanded suitable action against the person behind the incident. Speaking to reporters in Chennai, he said his party had reacted to the incident and that he can “only endorse it”.
“And we hope that the person who has done it is identified by the government and suitable action taken,” he said.
“The ink throwing on Baba Ramdev is shocking and deserves outright condemnation,” BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said in a comment of micro-blogging site Twitter.
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