Bihar BJP launches Satyagraha

Patna, Jun 6: Bihar unit of BJP today (June 6) launched state-wide Satygraha protesting against the midnight police crackdown on yoga guru Baba Ramdev and his supporters at the Ramlila grounds in New Delhi on Saturday.

BJP activists held demonstrations at all the district headquarters against the UPA government's ''brutality'' on the people's democratic movement against corruption.

Senior party leaders held a dharna at the J P roundabout here. Deputy Chief Minister S K Modi, senior BJP MLAs Arun Sinha, Nitin Navin, Amrendra Pratap Singh and Brajesh Singh Raman also participated in the sit-in.

Modi said though being Deputy Chief Minister, he was participating in the agitation in support of Ramdev as an attempt had been made by the Centre and the Congress to gag one''s voice and freedom of expression.

The midnight police crackdown on Ramdev and his supporters reminded the people the days of Emergency which had also been enforced in the month of June, he said.

He accused Congress leader Digvijay Singh of making ''insulting'' remarks against Ramdev at the behest of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

"The government is trying to insult Gandhian Anna Hazare and Ramdev for standing against corruption and bringing the black money stashed away in banks abroad back to India. We will not not tolerate it," he said.

"The brute use of force against Ramdev and his supporters is not not only attack on fundamental right of an individual but also a blow to the spirit of democracy", Modi said.

The ruling JD(U) today staged a day-long sit-in demonstration here to protest against the police crackdown on Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and his supporters and demanded immediate resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"Scam after scam have surfaced during the UPA rule led by Singh... now instead of passing the blame on his ministers, PM should own moral responsibility also particularly because of the police atrocity and brutality against Ramdev and his supporters and resign immediately," state JD(U)president Bashishtha Narayan Singh told reporters.

Party activists held demonstraion at the R-block roundabout here and also shouted slogans against the Centre, Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi for use of force at midnight on saturday against Ramdev and his supporters.

"The brutality reminds one of the days of emergency", Singh said while strongly condemning the incident.

He said the demands of Ramdev and Gandhian Anna Hazare against corruption and bringing black money stashed away in banks abroad back to India were "justified and in the interests of the nation."

Singh praised Nitish Kumar for his initiative to fight corruption in Bihar.

PTI