Government, BJP cross swords over verdict on Ramdev rally

The government Thursday said it will study the Supreme Court’s critical observations on the way Delhi Police dispersed yoga guru Baba Ramdev and his supporters from the Ramlila ground here last year. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) blamed the Congress-led UPA for the incident.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said Baba Ramdev should also take note of the court’s observations that he was negligent, did not have control over the crowd and ran from the podium causing ruckus past-midnight June 4 last year.

The apex court slammed the police for acting in an arbitrary manner and using excessive force in dispersing Baba Ramdev and his followers. It also pulled up the yoga guru for not cooperating with police.

Soni said the government, including the home ministry, will study the apex court observations on police (that they used excessive force in dispersing Baba Ramdev’s followers).

The BJP said the union government – which controls Delhi Police – and the Congress were responsible for the action.

“The ruling raises some questions: If Delhi Police is responsible, how come home ministry is not responsible,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters.

But the party said that “by today’s judgment, the court is diluting the right to protest”.

“We don’t agree with Supreme Court’s comment on Ramdev’s contributory negligence. If he’s responsible, then by that logic, Mahatma Gandhi would also have been responsible for police atrocities on the crowds which participated in his gatherings,” Javadekar added.

The court said that what happened at the sprawling ground on the night of June 4-5, leading to the death of a woman, was a demonstration of the might of the state.

Justice B.S. Chauhan and Justice Swatanter Kumar pulled up Ramdev for not cooperating with police and asking his followers to disperse only after police imposed prohibitory orders banning the assembly of people.

The court awarded an ad hoc compensation of Rs.5 lakh to the next of kin of Haryana resident Rajbala who suffered spinal injuries and died.

The court also awarded compensation of Rs.50,000 to all those who suffered grievous injuries and Rs.25,000 to others injured that night.

Baba Ramdev’s trust should bear 25 percent cost of the compensation, the court said.