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Mumbai: Following Anna Hazare’s steps, yoga guru Baba Ramdev announced on Wednesday that he would undertake a fast unto death in New Delhi from June 4, demanding the repatriation of black money stashed sway by Indians in Swiss and other foreign banks and an early disclosure of account holders’ names.
Announcing his plans to go on a public satyagrha along the one that Hazare had resorted to successfully on the Jan Lokpal bill issue, Ramdev said that he and thousands of his supporters, who would join him in the fast against black money-related issues, would also demand a ban on high-denomination currency notes like `1,000 and `500.
Among other things, the satyagrahis would also root for illegal wealth possessed by Indians in foreign countries and ratification of the UN Convention against Corruption.
Charging that the UPA Government, despite criticism by the Supreme Court and various other quarters, had not so far taken concrete steps to deal with the black money stashed away by Indians in foreign banks, Ramdev said that his agitation against corruption in general and black money in particular would continue till the evil was rooted out completely from the Indian society.
Calling for the enactment of a strong Lokpal law by August 2011, Ramdev asked both the civil society members and UPA Government representatives engaged jointly in the drafting of the proposed legislation not to get distracted by the allegations made by “vested interests” against a few of the members of the joint drafting committee, but proceed and complete the work ahead of the start of the monsoon session of Parliament. “What is important today is to have a strong lokpal drafted. Once the bill is enacted, you can deal with all corrupt people irrespective who they are,” Ramdeo added.
Ramdev said he had invited social activist Anna Hazare, retired IPS officer-turned-activist Kiran Bedi and Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde to his satyagraha.
Replying to a question, he said that though he appreciated the hard work put in by Shanti Bhushan and his son Prashant Bhsuahn on the drafting of Lokpal Bill, he had not invited the father-son duo to his satyagraha.
Ramdev said that, at the satyagraha he and his supporters would demand that the Lokpal be vested with powers to recover the unaccounted money illegally amassed by politicians, bureaucrats and others and hand them out a maximum deterrent punishment of death sentences.
Announcing his plans to go on a public satyagrha along the one that Hazare had resorted to successfully on the Jan Lokpal bill issue, Ramdev said that he and thousands of his supporters, who would join him in the fast against black money-related issues, would also demand a ban on high-denomination currency notes like `1,000 and `500.
Among other things, the satyagrahis would also root for illegal wealth possessed by Indians in foreign countries and ratification of the UN Convention against Corruption.
Charging that the UPA Government, despite criticism by the Supreme Court and various other quarters, had not so far taken concrete steps to deal with the black money stashed away by Indians in foreign banks, Ramdev said that his agitation against corruption in general and black money in particular would continue till the evil was rooted out completely from the Indian society.
Calling for the enactment of a strong Lokpal law by August 2011, Ramdev asked both the civil society members and UPA Government representatives engaged jointly in the drafting of the proposed legislation not to get distracted by the allegations made by “vested interests” against a few of the members of the joint drafting committee, but proceed and complete the work ahead of the start of the monsoon session of Parliament. “What is important today is to have a strong lokpal drafted. Once the bill is enacted, you can deal with all corrupt people irrespective who they are,” Ramdeo added.
Ramdev said he had invited social activist Anna Hazare, retired IPS officer-turned-activist Kiran Bedi and Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde to his satyagraha.
Replying to a question, he said that though he appreciated the hard work put in by Shanti Bhushan and his son Prashant Bhsuahn on the drafting of Lokpal Bill, he had not invited the father-son duo to his satyagraha.
Ramdev said that, at the satyagraha he and his supporters would demand that the Lokpal be vested with powers to recover the unaccounted money illegally amassed by politicians, bureaucrats and others and hand them out a maximum deterrent punishment of death sentences.
