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Anna forecasts 'wave of protest', team softens stand on Ramdev

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Press Trust of India New Delhi

His team meanwhile softened its stand on yoga guru Ramdev whom they attacked yesterday for sharing dais with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

After an impressive turnout yesterday, the morning crowd at the fast venue of Jantar Mantar here was small but it grew to around 2,000 in the afternoon.

As Hazare's fast entered the second day and his aides' sixth day, Team Anna said the government will have to send a messenger to the 74-year-old activist if it wanted to resolve the issue.

But, the government appeared in no mood to talk to Team Anna. Law Minister Salman Khurshid said the government has already met the three demands of Hazare on Lokpal "crucial" to his desire and he was under the impression that the activist would not sit on a fast.

 

"I think we have already met that (the demands) long ago. My understanding was he would not sit on fast. That's no concern of mine, that's for him to decide," he said.

Team Anna also came with a bizarre statement during the day by appearing to see a conspiracy in the collapse of the northern power grid, alleging that new developments are happening as Hazare is sitting on an indefinite fast.

A group of Hazare supporters also staged a protest outside Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar's residence here.

Strong words against Ramdev, who had pledged support to Hazare in his fight against corruption, were missing at the fast venue with Team Anna member Kumar Vishwas setting the tone that the yoga guru was free to meet who ever he want to.

Activist Kiran Bedi said Ramdev has the right to meet whom he wants to and the cause for which both Hazare and the yoga guru were fighting is the same.

"The goal is same. Ramdev is free to meet anybody. We have nothing against in Ramdev meeting anybody. We have also met opposition leaders earlier," she told reporters.

On Modi, she said the case of the Gujarat Chief Minister is before the courts and "let courts take a decision".

Team Anna had yesterday strongly reacted to Ramdev's sharing dais with Modi and praising him saying he found no basis for allegations of corruption in Gujarat.

  

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First Published: Jul 30 2012 | 10:35 PM IST

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