Booked under SC/ST Act for anti-Dalit remarks, Baba Ramdev faces arrest

Zee Media Bureau/Ritesh K Srivastava

Agra: Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, who is openly supporting the BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, may soon be arrested after he was booked under the stringent SC/ST Act for his remarks that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi goes to Dalit homes for "picnic and honeymoon". Ramdev, who is also under the Election Commission scanner over his objectionable utterances, faces arrests as the law hands out high penalties for practicing or preaching untouchability. The poll panel has also banned Ramdev from campaigning for the BJP in Himachal Pradesh and Amethi in view of severe protests against him and demands for his arrest. An FIR was lodged against him in Gorakhpur on Sunday and two more FIRs were filed in Patna and Agra against the yoga guru under the same Act on Monday. While Bihar food and consumer protection minister Shyam Razak moved a Patna court against Ramdev under the prevention of SC-ST Act, members of Dr BR Ambedkar Bar Association in Agra filed a case in the sessions court under the same law. A case was also registered against BJP spokesman Shahnawaz Hussain in Agra for backing Ramdev`s objectionable comment. Baba Ramdev, however, claims that his statement on Rahul Gandhi has been misinterpreted. "People have interpreted my `honeymoon` comment wrongly. I did not intend to insult Dalits," Ramdev said. "I did not mean to insult Rahul Gandhi or Dalits. He indulges in publicity with photos of him sitting in their homes. If my statement hurt the Dalits, I regret it," Ramdev said.