Baba Ramdev barred from holding yoga camps in Himachal Pradesh, booked under SC/ST Act
Shimla/Nagpur: Yoga guru Ramdev was on Monday banned from conducting yoga camps in Himachal Pradesh. He was also booked in Maharashtra and Rajasthan under the SC/ST Act for his "honeymoon" remarks targeting Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
The yoga guru, however, said he would move court against the curbs. Ramdev alleged the government had pressurised the Election Commission to take action, while accusing the Congress of "distorting" his remarks against Gandhi.
Known to be a supporter of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Ramdev had said last week that Gandhi went to Dalits' houses for honeymoon and picnic. He had expressed regret later.
In Himachal, chief electoral officer Narinder Chauhan said Ramdev was refused permission to hold yoga camps on the directions of the EC, which has instructed states to ensure that no political activity is allowed through non-political programmes like yoga shivirs.
The permission to hold a camp in Kangra district on Monday was withdrawn last evening. After reaching Kangra, Ramdev alleged the government was stopping his yoga shivirs, "which are non-political", in an "undemocratic manner".
Earlier, FIRs were filed against Ramdev in Lucknow and Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday over his remarks.
Two more FIRs have now been lodged against him in Nagpur and Jaipur under Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) Atrocities Act.
In Nagpur, the police said offences had been registered against Ramdev after a number of Dalit organisations, the NCP, the Youth Congress and the AAP lodged a protest.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajay Patil lodged a complaint at the Sadar police station on Sunday and submitted a video recording as evidence. However, no offence was registered in this connection.
"We have requested the police station-in-charge to lodge an FIR against the yoga guru immediately. If the police fail to take an appropriate action, the NCP would launch an agitation in the city soon," said Patil.
Akhil Bharatiya Dhamma Sena, an organisation of neo-Buddhists, burnt an effigy of Ramdev on Sunday evening at the busy Variety Square in protest against his remarks on Dalits.
Bhim Sena, a Dalit organisation, too lodged a police complaint against Ramdev at Panchpaoli police station, a pre-dominantly Dalit area in north Nagpur.
"We have booked an FIR against Baba Ramdev. Now, we are investigating the matter and would refer it to Lucknow for necessary action as it's comes under the jurisdiction Lucknow Police," the police said.
Nagpur has a seizable Dalit population and Babasaheb Ambedkar embraced Buddhism, along with half a million of his followers on October 14, 1956.
In Jaipur, a case under section 153A, 504 of IPC for abusing, hurting sentiments and insulting people and 3(1) of the SC/ST Act was registered on an FIR filed by a Rajasthan University student Ravi Kirad against Ramdev, the police said.
Meanwhile, a Bihar minister also filed a case against the yoga guru.
