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| Ramdev's programmes banned in Lucknow | | | Agencies
LUCKNOW, Apr 27: Yoga guru Ramdev today faced more heat over his controversial "honeymoon" remark against Rahul Gandhi, with authorities banning all his programmes in Lucknow till the elections are over and the Congress his arrest.
It came a day after FIRs were filed against Ramdev in Lucknow and Sonbhadra over his remarks that sparked massive outrage with the Congress, the BSP and others terming them "anti-dalit", though Ramdev later expressed regret. "All the programmes of Ramdev have been banned in Lucknow. The district administration had earlier taken an affidavit from Ramdev that only yoga programmes will be held by his organisation and no remarks will be made which could hurt any religion or community," a senior official told said.
However, Ramdev's remarks have led to protests due to which all his programmes in the city have been banned till May 16, he added.
Ramdev, who is supporting the BJP in these Lok Sabha elections, had on April 25 said, "Rahul Gandhi goes to houses of Dalits for honeymoon and picnic." The Congress today stepped up its attack on the yoga guru demanding his arrest. "He has insulted the Dalit community...There are certain crimes which cannot be pardoned," party leader Rashid Alvi told reporters in Delhi. Congress spokesperson Neem Afzal said he should be arrested and cases slapped against him under the SC and ST Act. In the backdrop of the controversy, the Election Commission has come out with fresh guidelines barring people from making "malicious" statements about the private lives of individuals and said those violating the directive would not be allowed to hold programmes during polls.
The EC also cautioned people against invoking religion as it may create disharmony.
The Congress had yesterday termed as "shameful and despicable" Ramdev's controversial remarks and had sought an unconditional apology from him as well as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, alleging the yoga guru is part of his coterie.
The Left and the BSP, too, had demanded legal action against Ramdev.
While Union Minister P Chidambaram had described "shameful and despicable" the yoga guru's remarks that Rahul visits Dalit homes for honeymoon, the party's dalit leaders such as Kumari Selja and Krishna Tirath said his remarks reflected the "perverse" mindset of one who has no regard and respect for Dalit women and views them only as a "commodity". The LJP chief Ram Vilas Pawan, an NDA partner, however said that the chapter should be closed, contending that Ramdev had already apologised. Expressing regret to the Dalit community, Ramdev said in Vadodara yesterday that "the statement I made has been misrepresented. The term honeymoon period is over is commonly used in political language. I tried to use it in that sense," Ramdev had claimed. In Lucknow, Additional Superintendent of Police Habibul Hassan told that an FIR had been lodged against Ramdev under section of 171(g) (false statement in connection with an election) of the IPC. |
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