New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday said that yoga guru Baba Ramdev should continue his agitation against black money, which it claimed was started by the party.
"Baba Ramdev has said that he would end his fast only after the prime minister shows his political will. Everyone knows that Prime Minister had promised that he would get back black money stashed in foreign bank within 100 days. It almost three years now, but nothing has happened. So, to believe or say that prime minister would act, the BJP feel that it would never happened," BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said.
"Baba Ramdev should realise that this is never going to materialize of he waits for the prime minister to act on it. BJP would want that Baba should continue with the protest against black money. Baba Ramdev has to be cautious with his words as the present prime minister of this country is not to get back this black money," he added.
"And what is more important is that Baba Ramdev should realize that this campaign, was built up by BJP against corruption and black money. And if you can recall that in the last parliament session Lal Krishna Advani has raised the issue. Even the leaders of opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley and even our senior leader Shanta Kumar have raised this issue of black money in UN," he said.
"Now, seeing the intention of the government, I don''t think, it would happen; if it happens it would be great, but seeing the prime minister, who hardly speaks, to expect this from him is too much," he added
Earlier, BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said: "If he (Ramdev) is sitting on a dharna then it is for the country's sake. The entire country should extend support to him. Because the issue of bringing back black money has been raised by LK Advani. We want that black money stashed outside should return to the country."
Baba Ramdev had launched a three-day fast along with his supporters on Thursday demanding immediate action to enact a strong Lokpal and steps to bring back black money stashed away in foreign banks.
The Government of India had released a Fact Sheet yesterday giving details of the action taken by it to locate and bring back black money. Apparently Baba Ramdev and the BJP are not satisfied.
BJP had backed Ramdev when he first began his agitation following the anti-corruption movement started by Anna Hazare and his team.
Raising the issue in Parliament, BJP had attacked the government for unleashing Delhi Police on Ramdev and his supporters in the middle of the night in the government's attempt to quash the movement last year.
ANI
First Published: Saturday, August 11, 2012, 13:00