Lucknow/Phagwara/Patna: Yoga guru Ramdev was on Saturday booked by Uttar Pradesh police for his controversial remarks targeting Rahul Gandhi that drew flak from various quarters with Congress demanding that he give a public apology as he had insulted dalits.
"An FIR has been lodged against Baba Ramdev at Mahanagar police station under relevant section of section 171(g) IPC (false statement in connection with an election)," Additional Superintendent of Police Habibul Hassan told PTI.
The FIR was lodged by police after analysing video clipping of Ramdev's statement made on Friday. Ramdev, who has been supporting BJP, yesterday alleged that Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi goes to the houses of Dalits "for honeymoon and picnic".
"He goes to Dalits house for honeymoon and picnic. Had he married a dalit girl, then his luck could have clicked and he would have become the Prime Minister," Ramdev had said here.
Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh slammed Ramdev's remarks as "anti-Dalit". "Ramdev's remark is anti Dalit. He must publicly apologise."
"We would like Narendra Modi and BJP to react to Ramdev's anti-Dalit remark," Singh said on Twitter.
Ramdev's remark Anti Dalit. He must publicly apologise. We would like Modi and BJP to react to Ramdev's anti Dalit remark.
— digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) April 26, 2014CPI (M) too demanded prosecution of Ramdev under the SC/ST Act for his "uncivilised statements" against Dalit women and charged him with demeaning dalit women.
It also asked the Election Commission to take suo motu notice of his "outrageous comments and take appropriate action".
BSP workers and activists of Dalit organisations staged demonstration at several places against Ramdev's remarks and demanded action against him. In Phagwara, Punjab protesters blocked traffic on national highway 1 and burnt effigies.
Ramdev had said unlike Rahul, Narendra Modi and Ramdev have not become "fakir" under compulsion. "Us bechare ki bhi kismat kharab hai (Rahul is unlucky)", Ramdev had said.
"His (Rahul's) mother says that if you marry a foreigner girl, then you cannot become the PM and this boy does not want to marry an Indian girl. His mother wants that first he becomes the PM and then marry a foreigner," he had added.
Later, in a damage-control exercise, Ramdev claimed he did not make the remarks in a negative sense and was willing to withdraw them if they have hurt the Dalit sentiments.CPI(M) demanded prosecution of yoga guru Ramdev under the SC/ST Act for his "uncivilised statements" against Dalit women and charged him with demeaning them.
It also asked the Election Commission to take suo motu notice of his "outrageous comments and take appropriate action".
In a statement, CPI(M) Politburo member Brinda Karat said "In his references to Rahul Gandhi, Ramdev, a self-declared 'baba', has made uncivilised statements that demean and insult Dalit women."
Ramdev "should be prosecuted under SC/ST Act (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act). The Election Commission should also take suo motu notice of his outrageous comments and take appropriate action," Karat said.
Karat had earlier too taken on Ramdev alleging that the ayurvedic medicines prepared by his company contained animal parts and human bones and that the Union Health Ministry had established that he had violated licensing and labelling provisions.
Scores of Dalits staged demonstrations on National Highway 1 demanding the Election
Commission to ban Yoga guru Ramdev from campaigning for BJP over his alleged anti-Dalit remarks.
Three effigies of Ramdev were also burnt as demonstrators blocked traffic on the national highway.
The protesters have urged the EC to take cognisance of Ramdev's "highly objectionable" remarks and demanded a ban on his election campaign and roadshows for BJP.
They also submitted an application to the local police demanding registration of a criminal case against him under relevant sections of SC/ST Act and section 295-A of the IPC.
BSP state General Secretary Jarnail Nangal, Dalit ideologue Advocate S L Virdi, Sena leaders Harbhajan Suman and Surinder Dhanda, Balmiki leaders Satish Salhotra and Pawan Sethi were among the protesters.
Congress party workers led by local president Gurjit Walia also joined the protest.
Simultaneously, JD(U) demanded jail for the yoga guru.
"By saying that Rahul Gandhi goes to dalits' houses to celebrate honeymoon, Ramdev is now speaking in the same language as RSS," senior JD(U) leader and Bihar minister Shyam Rajak said in a statement.
"Dalits have been insulted by this statement of the yoga guru and he deserves a place in jail," Rajak said.
The JD(U) leader demanded that the Centre lodge a case against Ramdev under relevant sections SC/ST Act (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act) and put him behind bars.
In a dig at the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Rajak said, "Also, the true anti-Dalit face of Narendra Modi, for whom Ramdev is mobilising support, stands exposed by this."
