The Hindu : Front Page : Hazare camp opposes Ramdev's idea of armed wing

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Thursday, Jun 09, 2011
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Hazare camp opposes Ramdev's idea of armed wing

K. Balchand

NEW DELHI: The Anna Hazare team of civil society members, who staged a daylong fast protesting against the police action on demonstrators on the Ramlila grounds on Sunday, were quick to oppose Baba Ramdev's declaration to arm his supporters to counter any police raid.

Responding to a question, Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan said they were opposed to such ideas and did not support what the yoga guru had mooted. All agitations had to be non-violent, they said, underlining their distance from Baba Ramdev on the issue.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Hazare made it clear he had undertaken the fast with just two objectives — to protest against alleged police atrocity on those raising their voice against corruption and in support of the Lokpal Bill.

None of the speakers had ever referred to Baba Ramdev. They made it a point to define the characteristics of a “satyagrahi” as a person who would not fear anything and just stand bold if the police were to confront him.

Swami Agnivesh was more specific: if a situation like that on the Ramlila grounds had confronted Mr. Hazare, he would have courted arrest.

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