Baba Ramdev asks people to vote for BJP and CPI

Dehra Dun, Jan 25: Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev on Wednesday asked people to vote for BJP and CPI in the coming Assembly elections in five states and "reject" other parties which have failed to accept "genuine" issues of bringing back black money and corruption.

"Those parties, which are not supporting and accepting the genuine issues of bringing back black money and corruption, must be rejected in the elections as their intentions are bad," Ramdev told reporters here.

He said in response to the letters sent by him to all political parties asking for their acceptance on seven points including declaring black money stashed in foreign banks as national assets and others, only two parties-- BJP and CPI gave their acceptance.

"Give your vote to those parties who want to save the country and bring back the black money to the country and reject other parties," he said.

He said he also wrote to Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue of black money but he got no response from them or their representatives.

Ramdev said he would soon visit election-bound states of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab and make a similar appeal to voters.

Without taking any names, he said he wanted to hold a meeting in Haridwar for which he gave an application 15 days ago but he was not given permission under "some pressure" in the name of threat to peace and law and order.

"I want to know what wrong I have done which posed threat to the peace and law and order. I have only talked about bringing back black money from foreign banks. Is this a sin," he asked.

Ramdev said whenever somebody talked about black money, corruption and corrupt system, why leaders of only one party challenged him to fight elections.

"I want to ask them should all the 121 crore people of the country fight elections to take their rights," he said.

When asked, why he is not taking name of that political party, Ramdev said, "There is no political party on my target. Rather I am on target of criminals and demons of some political parties."

Referring to increase in shoe-throwing incidents in political meetings, Ramdev said he did not support any such act.

"Don't attack with shoes and slippers. Use your vote for teaching a lesson to dishonest people," he said.

On the ink attack on himself, Ramdev said he would not deter by such attacks. "I am ready to be fully painted in black ink if the black money worth Rs 400 lakh crore stashed in foreign banks comes back to the country," he said.

Regarding shoe-hurling on members of Team Anna in Dehra Dun last week, Ramdev said those who talk about saving the country, some political parties are harrassing them.

PTI