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Baba Ramdev arrested in late night swoop

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev [ Images ] was detained early Sunday morning by
the New Delhi [ Images ] police from the stage when he was sleeping
with his followers.

Ramdev, who is on a fast against corruption at the Ramlila gounds in
the capital, tried to evade arrest and jumped from the 15-feet-high
stage. He was gheraoed by women devotees but the police was
well-prepared to take him out of the ground. He was taken to an
unknown destination on the outskirts of New Delhi.

The arrest and police action at around 1.15 am led to mayhem as 30,000
devotees, men and women, were evicted by force by the Delhi police.
More than 5,000 policemen had taken charge of the ground at midnight.

The scene at the Ramlila maidan was scary and ordinary people who were
sleeping were confused. Since most of them were from outside Delhi
they didn't know where to go.

Many devotees got injured while running away from the maidan. Few
young devotees even resorted to stone-throwing but they resorted to a
lathicharge and even burst a few teargas shells.

Shanti Bhushan, a member of the drafting committee of Lokpal bill, has
asked the government to resign for such, 'a drastic and undemocratic
action' against peaceful demonstrators. He called on the government to
resign.

PTI adds: With talks breaking down, the police swooped down on Baba
Ramdev a little past midnight and detained him after firing tear gas
shells and resorting to lathicharge on his supporters to end his
day-old indefinite hunger strike on black money issue.

The dramatic police action came after government and the 46-year-old
yoga guru had accused each other the previous night of betrayal on
mutual assurances.

The drama that broke the midnight calm in the Ramlila Maidan a little
after 1 am unfolded when a large number of police personnel descended
at the protest venue where Ramdev was demanding immediate action to
bring back black money stashed in foreign tax havens.

After daybreak, the police cleared all the remnants of Baba's support
by evicting his followers from the protest site amidst stiff
resistance.

Delhi police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said Baba Ramdev was detained as
he was leaving the site.

Later sources said he was allowed to go out of Delhi and probably he
was headed to Haridwar.

Earlier, Home Secretary G K Pillai had maintained that he was not
arrested or detained, a point echoed by Delhi Police Commissioner B K
Gupta, who also rushed to the spot.

Gupta said there were some security concerns and that the permission
for the yoga camp has been cancelled.

He said Ramdev's supporters indulged in stone throwing. The police did
not use force except to use some tear gas, he added.

Ramdev's key aide, Tijarawala, alleged that he has been "kidnapped" by
the police and he feared for his life. The spokesman appealed to the
Chief Justice of India [ Images ] to intervene and ensure Ramdev's
safety and release.

The police withdrew the permission for his yoga camp and imposed
prohibitory orders after what a senior police official said a
political decision was taken to end the protest.

The previous night the government and Ramdev indulged in a blame game.
Union Minister Kapil Sibal [ Images ], who had negotiated with Ramdev,
made public a letter written by his aide that the fast would be called
off on Saturday evening if the government gave a written assurances on
a legislation to bring back the black money from abroad and stringent
punishment to offenders.

Ramdev hit back, saying the government has indulged in "betrayal and
cheating" and vowed not to talk to Sibal ever in his life. He said he
would go by the word of the prime minister.

After mutual accusations, the government on late Saturday night sent a
fresh letter of assurance on his demands and appealed to him to
withdraw his fast.

Indications that the government could resort to some action were
available when Sibal said that government which always reached out can
also rein in. "If we are accommodative, we can also be firm," he had
said.

In the midnight drama, that was enacted live in front of television
cameras, Ramdev's supporters, who were woken up from their sleep, rose
in protest against the police action.

Some elderly people swooned due to the impact of tear gas shelling
resorted to by police.

Thirty of his supporters have been admitted to a nearby government
hospital for treatment of injuries allegedly suffered during the
police action.

Chaos and commotion prevailed when the police, including a contingent
of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), arrived at the venue and approached
Ramdev, who was sleeping on the specially-erected rostrum from where
he was addressing his supporters throughout the day.

As news spread that Ramdev may be arrested, a posse of supporters,
including women, formed a human cordon around him making the job of
the police difficult to approach him.

Some supporters carried Baba Ramdev, who jumped from the dais, on
their shoulders and that was the last that he was seen on television
screens before he was removed from the place and detained.

Earlier, Ramdev was seen appealing to the supporters to remain calm
and sought to pacify them while urging them not to resort to violence.

There was a minor fire when one of the tear gas shells emitted spark
while falling near the stage. The blaze was put out immediately.

In his address to the supporters, Ramdev appealed to Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh [ Images ] to allow him to be arrested during daytime.

"Why am I being arrested without any information, at night? I appeal
to people to maintain calm...," Ramdev told the gathering.

He also appealed the people of Delhi to come in large numbers to the
protest venue.

A section of supporters threw pots, tripods and mike stands on cops to
prevent them from coming close to the stage.

The crowd dispersed from the stage after police fired tear gas shells.
People were seen vacating the dais and the surrounding area after tear
gas enveloped the whole area.

The supporters also claimed that Baba along with Acharya Bala Krishnan
and Jaydeep Arya, head of Bharat Swabhiman Manch, were arrested.

They also said Swami Sampoornanand, who is second in command, has
taken charge of the agitation and has asked people to gather at Jantar
Mantar.

Banners were torn and mattresses and furniture lay all over the
Ramlila Maidan that resembled a war zone after the police action.

The Ramlila ground was booked for 20 days by Baba Ramdev for a yoga
camp but was turned as the venue for his "satyagraha" movement.

Organisers were asking people not to leave the pandal and continue the
protest. Some of them, associated with Baba's movement, contacted
their associates in respective states to protest against police action
in the morning.

A large number of people were leaving the spot, some were seen arguing
with the policemen that why they have taken such an action when their
protest was peaceful.

Some of the supporters refused to leave the venue saying they will not
move till they get a direction to do so from Baba.

Civil society activists Shanti Bhushan and Swami Agnivesh criticised
the police action to end the hunger strike of Baba Ramdev with former
law minister calling it an Emergency-like situation and demanding the
resignation of the prime minister.

However, Swami Agnivesh was equally critical of Baba Ramdev, saying he
should have called off the fast once the government gave him
assurances on his demands. But instead he instigated his followers to
continue the agitation with the result innocent men and women were
attacked.

Comparing the government's action to that of Emergency in 1975,
Bhushan said it shows to what extent the government can go to protect
black money offenders.

Agnivesh criticised the police action saying this kind of brutal
lathicharge and tear gas shelling on sleeping followers was
condemnable.

He also accused Baba Ramdev for instigating the crowd to stay back and
continue with the agitation even after his demands were met.

"But not calling off the agitation and continuing with some
provocative speeches were not helpful," Agnivesh said, adding the
whole thing was based on some fishy deal.

Another activist and Anna Hazare camp follower, Arvind Kejriwal, said
the action shows this government is drunk with power and the whole
country will agitate against this.

He said they would like the prime minister to explain as to what was
the provocation for such a brutal action.

The decision to conduct the midnight operation at Ramlila Maidan, the
venue of Baba Ramdev's hunger strike, was a "political" one, a top
Delhi police official said.

The operation, which caught Ramdev and his supporters unaware, began
after 1 am and it was almost over within a couple of hours.

"It was a political decision. Otherwise we would not have carried out
the operation although we had given permission only to hold a yoga
camp and not an agitation," said the police official.

He said the police tried to pursued Ramdev to leave the place
peacefully but he did not heed to the request and instead asked his
supporters not to leave the venue.

The official said followers of Ramdev had pelted stones at police personnel.

"We requested him to leave the place peacefully. But he did not listen
to us. Then his supporters started pelting stones at us," said the
official.

With talks breaking down, the police swooped down on Baba Ramdev a
little past midnight and detained him after firing tear gas shells and
resorting to lathicharge on his supporters to end his day-old
indefinite hunger strike on black money issue.

The dramatic police action came after government and the 46-year-old
yoga guru had accused each other the previous night of betrayal on
mutual assurances.

The drama that broke the midnight calm in the Ramlila Maidan a little
after 1 AM unfolded when a large number of police personnel descended
at the protest venue where Ramdev was demanding immediate action to
bring back black money stashed in foreign tax havens.

After daybreak, the police cleared all the remnants of Baba's support
by evicting his followers from the protest site amidst stiff
resistance.

Delhi police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said Baba Ramdev was detained as
he was leaving the site.

Later sources said he was allowed to go out of Delhi and probably he
was headed to Haridwar.

Earlier, Home Secretary G K Pillai had maintained that he was not
arrested or detained, a point echoed by Delhi Police Commissioner B K
Gupta, who also rushed to the spot.

Gupta said there were some security concerns and that the permission
for the yoga camp has been cancelled.

He said Ramdev's supporters indulged in stone throwing. The police did
not use force except to use some tear gas, he added.

Ramdev's key aide, Tijarawala, alleged that he has been "kidnapped" by
the police and he feared for his life. The spokesman appealed to the
Chief Justice of India to intervene and ensure Ramdev's safety and
release.

The police withdrew the permission for his yoga camp and imposed
prohibitory orders after what a senior police official said a
political decision was taken to end the protest.

The previous night the government and Ramdev indulged in a blame game.
Union Minister Kapil Sibal, who had negotiated with Ramdev, made
public a letter written by his aide that the fast would be called off
on Saturday evening if the government gave a written assurances on a
legislation to bring back the black money from abroad and stringent
punishment to offenders.

Ramdev hit back, saying the government has indulged in "betrayal and
cheating" and vowed not to talk to Sibal ever in his life. He said he
would go by the word of the prime minister.

After mutual accusations, the government on late Saturday night sent a
fresh letter of assurance on his demands and appealed to him to
withdraw his fast.

Indications that the government could resort to some action were
available when Sibal said that government which always reached out can
also rein in. "If we are accommodative, we can also be firm," he had
said.

In the midnight drama, that was enacted live in front of television
cameras, Ramdev's supporters, who were woken up from their sleep, rose
in protest against the police action.

Some elderly people swooned due to the impact of tear gas shelling
resorted to by police.

Thirty of his supporters have been admitted to a nearby government
hospital for treatment of injuries allegedly suffered during the
police action.

Chaos and commotion prevailed when the police, including a contingent
of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), arrived at the venue and approached
Ramdev, who was sleeping on the specially-erected rostrum from where
he was addressing his supporters throughout the day.

As news spread that Ramdev may be arrested, a posse of supporters,
including women, formed a human cordon around him making the job of
the police difficult to approach him.

Some supporters carried Baba Ramdev, who jumped from the dais, on
their shoulders and that was the last that he was seen on television
screens before he was removed from the place and detained.

Earlier, Ramdev was seen appealing to the supporters to remain calm
and sought to pacify them while urging them not to resort to violence.

There was a minor fire when one of the tear gas shells emitted spark
while falling near the stage. The blaze was put out immediately.

In his address to the supporters, Ramdev appealed to Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh to allow him to be arrested during daytime.

"Why am I being arrested without any information, at night? I appeal
to people to maintain calm...," Ramdev told the gathering.

He also appealed the people of Delhi to come in large numbers to the
protest venue.

A section of supporters threw pots, tripods and mike stands on cops to
prevent them from coming close to the stage.

The crowd dispersed from the stage after police fired tear gas shells.
People were seen vacating the dais and the surrounding area after tear
gas enveloped the whole area.

The supporters also claimed that Baba along with Acharya Bala Krishnan
and Jaydeep Arya, head of Bharat Swabhiman Manch, were arrested.

They also said Swami Sampoornanand, who is second in command, has
taken charge of the agitation and has asked people to gather at Jantar
Mantar.

Banners were torn and mattresses and furniture lay all over the
Ramlila Maidan that resembled a war zone after the police action.

The Ramlila ground was booked for 20 days by Baba Ramdev for a yoga
camp but was turned as the venue for his "satyagraha" movement.

Organisers were asking people not to leave the pandal and continue the
protest. Some of them, associated with Baba's movement, contacted
their associates in respective states to protest against police action
in the morning.

A large number of people were leaving the spot, some were seen arguing
with the policemen that why they have taken such an action when their
protest was peaceful.

Some of the supporters refused to leave the venue saying they will not
move till they get a direction to do so from Baba.

Civil society activists Shanti Bhushan and Swami Agnivesh criticised
the police action to end the hunger strike of Baba Ramdev with former
law minister calling it an Emergency-like situation and demanding the
resignation of the prime minister.

However, Swami Agnivesh was equally critical of Baba Ramdev, saying he
should have called off the fast once the government gave him
assurances on his demands. But instead he instigated his followers to
continue the agitation with the result innocent men and women were
attacked.

Comparing the government's action to that of Emergency in 1975,
Bhushan said it shows to what extent the government can go to protect
black money offenders.

Agnivesh criticised the police action saying this kind of brutal
lathicharge and tear gas shelling on sleeping followers was
condemnable.

He also accused Baba Ramdev for instigating the crowd to stay back and
continue with the agitation even after his demands were met.

"But not calling off the agitation and continuing with some
provocative speeches were not helpful," Agnivesh said, adding the
whole thing was based on some fishy deal.

Another activist and Anna Hazare camp follower, Arvind Kejriwal, said
the action shows this government is drunk with power and the whole
country will agitate against this.

He said they would like the prime minister to explain as to what was
the provocation for such a brutal action.

The decision to conduct the midnight operation at Ramlila Maidan, the
venue of Baba Ramdev's hunger strike, was a "political" one, a top
Delhi police official said.

The operation, which caught Ramdev and his supporters unaware, began
after 1 am and it was almost over within a couple of hours.

"It was a political decision. Otherwise we would not have carried out
the operation although we had given permission only to hold a yoga
camp and not an agitation," said the police official.

He said the police tried to pursued Ramdev to leave the place
peacefully but he did not heed to the request and instead asked his
supporters not to leave the venue.

The official said followers of Ramdev had pelted stones at police personnel.

"We requested him to leave the place peacefully. But he did not listen
to us. Then his supporters started pelting stones at us," said the
official.

With talks breaking down, the police swooped down on Baba Ramdev a
little past midnight and detained him after firing tear gas shells and
resorting to lathicharge on his supporters to end his day-old
indefinite hunger strike on black money issue.

The dramatic police action came after government and the 46-year-old
yoga guru had accused each other the previous night of betrayal on
mutual assurances.

The drama that broke the midnight calm in the Ramlila Maidan a little
after 1 AM unfolded when a large number of police personnel descended
at the protest venue where Ramdev was demanding immediate action to
bring back black money stashed in foreign tax havens.

After daybreak, the police cleared all the remnants of Baba's support
by evicting his followers from the protest site amidst stiff
resistance.

Delhi police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said Baba Ramdev was detained as
he was leaving the site.

Later sources said he was allowed to go out of Delhi and probably he
was headed to Haridwar.

Earlier, Home Secretary G K Pillai had maintained that he was not
arrested or detained, a point echoed by Delhi Police Commissioner B K
Gupta, who also rushed to the spot.

Gupta said there were some security concerns and that the permission
for the yoga camp has been cancelled.

He said Ramdev's supporters indulged in stone throwing. The police did
not use force except to use some tear gas, he added.

Ramdev's key aide, Tijarawala, alleged that he has been "kidnapped" by
the police and he feared for his life. The spokesman appealed to the
Chief Justice of India to intervene and ensure Ramdev's safety and
release.

The police withdrew the permission for his yoga camp and imposed
prohibitory orders after what a senior police official said a
political decision was taken to end the protest.

The previous night the government and Ramdev indulged in a blame game.
Union Minister Kapil Sibal, who had negotiated with Ramdev, made
public a letter written by his aide that the fast would be called off
on Saturday evening if the government gave a written assurances on a
legislation to bring back the black money from abroad and stringent
punishment to offenders.

Ramdev hit back, saying the government has indulged in "betrayal and
cheating" and vowed not to talk to Sibal ever in his life. He said he
would go by the word of the prime minister.

After mutual accusations, the government on late Saturday night sent a
fresh letter of assurance on his demands and appealed to him to
withdraw his fast.

Indications that the government could resort to some action were
available when Sibal said that government which always reached out can
also rein in. "If we are accommodative, we can also be firm," he had
said.

In the midnight drama, that was enacted live in front of television
cameras, Ramdev's supporters, who were woken up from their sleep, rose
in protest against the police action.

Some elderly people swooned due to the impact of tear gas shelling
resorted to by police.

Thirty of his supporters have been admitted to a nearby government
hospital for treatment of injuries allegedly suffered during the
police action.

Chaos and commotion prevailed when the police, including a contingent
of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), arrived at the venue and approached
Ramdev, who was sleeping on the specially-erected rostrum from where
he was addressing his supporters throughout the day.

As news spread that Ramdev may be arrested, a posse of supporters,
including women, formed a human cordon around him making the job of
the police difficult to approach him.

Some supporters carried Baba Ramdev, who jumped from the dais, on
their shoulders and that was the last that he was seen on television
screens before he was removed from the place and detained.

Earlier, Ramdev was seen appealing to the supporters to remain calm
and sought to pacify them while urging them not to resort to violence.

There was a minor fire when one of the tear gas shells emitted spark
while falling near the stage. The blaze was put out immediately.

In his address to the supporters, Ramdev appealed to Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh to allow him to be arrested during daytime.

"Why am I being arrested without any information, at night? I appeal
to people to maintain calm...," Ramdev told the gathering.

He also appealed the people of Delhi to come in large numbers to the
protest venue.

A section of supporters threw pots, tripods and mike stands on cops to
prevent them from coming close to the stage.

The crowd dispersed from the stage after police fired tear gas shells.
People were seen vacating the dais and the surrounding area after tear
gas enveloped the whole area.

The supporters also claimed that Baba along with Acharya Bala Krishnan
and Jaydeep Arya, head of Bharat Swabhiman Manch, were arrested.

They also said Swami Sampoornanand, who is second in command, has
taken charge of the agitation and has asked people to gather at Jantar
Mantar.

Banners were torn and mattresses and furniture lay all over the
Ramlila Maidan that resembled a war zone after the police action.

The Ramlila ground was booked for 20 days by Baba Ramdev for a yoga
camp but was turned as the venue for his "satyagraha" movement.

Organisers were asking people not to leave the pandal and continue the
protest. Some of them, associated with Baba's movement, contacted
their associates in respective states to protest against police action
in the morning.

A large number of people were leaving the spot, some were seen arguing
with the policemen that why they have taken such an action when their
protest was peaceful.

Some of the supporters refused to leave the venue saying they will not
move till they get a direction to do so from Baba.

Civil society activists Shanti Bhushan and Swami Agnivesh criticised
the police action to end the hunger strike of Baba Ramdev with former
law minister calling it an Emergency-like situation and demanding the
resignation of the prime minister.

However, Swami Agnivesh was equally critical of Baba Ramdev, saying he
should have called off the fast once the government gave him
assurances on his demands. But instead he instigated his followers to
continue the agitation with the result innocent men and women were
attacked.

Comparing the government's action to that of Emergency in 1975,
Bhushan said it shows to what extent the government can go to protect
black money offenders.

Agnivesh criticised the police action saying this kind of brutal
lathicharge and tear gas shelling on sleeping followers was
condemnable.

He also accused Baba Ramdev for instigating the crowd to stay back and
continue with the agitation even after his demands were met.

"But not calling off the agitation and continuing with some
provocative speeches were not helpful," Agnivesh said, adding the
whole thing was based on some fishy deal.

Another activist and Anna Hazare camp follower, Arvind Kejriwal, said
the action shows this government is drunk with power and the whole
country will agitate against this.

He said they would like the prime minister to explain as to what was
the provocation for such a brutal action.

The decision to conduct the midnight operation at Ramlila Maidan, the
venue of Baba Ramdev's hunger strike, was a "political" one, a top
Delhi police official said.

The operation, which caught Ramdev and his supporters unaware, began
after 1 am and it was almost over within a couple of hours.

"It was a political decision. Otherwise we would not have carried out
the operation although we had given permission only to hold a yoga
camp and not an agitation," said the police official.

He said the police tried to pursued Ramdev to leave the place
peacefully but he did not heed to the request and instead asked his
supporters not to leave the venue.

The official said followers of Ramdev had pelted stones at police personnel.

"We requested him to leave the place peacefully. But he did not listen
to us. Then his supporters started pelting stones at us," said the
official.

With talks breaking down, the police swooped down on Baba Ramdev a
little past midnight and detained him after firing tear gas shells and
resorting to lathicharge on his supporters to end his day-old
indefinite hunger strike on black money issue.

The dramatic police action came after government and the 46-year-old
yoga guru had accused each other the previous night of betrayal on
mutual assurances.

The drama that broke the midnight calm in the Ramlila Maidan a little
after 1 AM unfolded when a large number of police personnel descended
at the protest venue where Ramdev was demanding immediate action to
bring back black money stashed in foreign tax havens.

After daybreak, the police cleared all the remnants of Baba's support
by evicting his followers from the protest site amidst stiff
resistance.

Delhi police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said Baba Ramdev was detained as
he was leaving the site.

Later sources said he was allowed to go out of Delhi and probably he
was headed to Haridwar.

Earlier, Home Secretary G K Pillai had maintained that he was not
arrested or detained, a point echoed by Delhi Police Commissioner B K
Gupta, who also rushed to the spot.

Gupta said there were some security concerns and that the permission
for the yoga camp has been cancelled.

He said Ramdev's supporters indulged in stone throwing. The police did
not use force except to use some tear gas, he added.

Ramdev's key aide, Tijarawala, alleged that he has been "kidnapped" by
the police and he feared for his life. The spokesman appealed to the
Chief Justice of India to intervene and ensure Ramdev's safety and
release.

The police withdrew the permission for his yoga camp and imposed
prohibitory orders after what a senior police official said a
political decision was taken to end the protest.

The previous night the government and Ramdev indulged in a blame game.
Union Minister Kapil Sibal, who had negotiated with Ramdev, made
public a letter written by his aide that the fast would be called off
on Saturday evening if the government gave a written assurances on a
legislation to bring back the black money from abroad and stringent
punishment to offenders.

Ramdev hit back, saying the government has indulged in "betrayal and
cheating" and vowed not to talk to Sibal ever in his life. He said he
would go by the word of the prime minister.

After mutual accusations, the government on late Saturday night sent a
fresh letter of assurance on his demands and appealed to him to
withdraw his fast.

Indications that the government could resort to some action were
available when Sibal said that government which always reached out can
also rein in. "If we are accommodative, we can also be firm," he had
said.

In the midnight drama, that was enacted live in front of television
cameras, Ramdev's supporters, who were woken up from their sleep, rose
in protest against the police action.

Some elderly people swooned due to the impact of tear gas shelling
resorted to by police.

Thirty of his supporters have been admitted to a nearby government
hospital for treatment of injuries allegedly suffered during the
police action.

Chaos and commotion prevailed when the police, including a contingent
of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), arrived at the venue and approached
Ramdev, who was sleeping on the specially-erected rostrum from where
he was addressing his supporters throughout the day.

As news spread that Ramdev may be arrested, a posse of supporters,
including women, formed a human cordon around him making the job of
the police difficult to approach him.

Some supporters carried Baba Ramdev, who jumped from the dais, on
their shoulders and that was the last that he was seen on television
screens before he was removed from the place and detained.

Earlier, Ramdev was seen appealing to the supporters to remain calm
and sought to pacify them while urging them not to resort to violence.

There was a minor fire when one of the tear gas shells emitted spark
while falling near the stage. The blaze was put out immediately.

In his address to the supporters, Ramdev appealed to Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh to allow him to be arrested during daytime.

"Why am I being arrested without any information, at night? I appeal
to people to maintain calm...," Ramdev told the gathering.

He also appealed the people of Delhi to come in large numbers to the
protest venue.

A section of supporters threw pots, tripods and mike stands on cops to
prevent them from coming close to the stage.

The crowd dispersed from the stage after police fired tear gas shells.
People were seen vacating the dais and the surrounding area after tear
gas enveloped the whole area.

The supporters also claimed that Baba along with Acharya Bala Krishnan
and Jaydeep Arya, head of Bharat Swabhiman Manch, were arrested.

They also said Swami Sampoornanand, who is second in command, has
taken charge of the agitation and has asked people to gather at Jantar
Mantar.

Banners were torn and mattresses and furniture lay all over the
Ramlila Maidan that resembled a war zone after the police action.

The Ramlila ground was booked for 20 days by Baba Ramdev for a yoga
camp but was turned as the venue for his "satyagraha" movement.

Organisers were asking people not to leave the pandal and continue the
protest. Some of them, associated with Baba's movement, contacted
their associates in respective states to protest against police action
in the morning.

A large number of people were leaving the spot, some were seen arguing
with the policemen that why they have taken such an action when their
protest was peaceful.

Some of the supporters refused to leave the venue saying they will not
move till they get a direction to do so from Baba.

Civil society activists Shanti Bhushan and Swami Agnivesh criticised
the police action to end the hunger strike of Baba Ramdev with former
law minister calling it an Emergency-like situation and demanding the
resignation of the prime minister.

However, Swami Agnivesh was equally critical of Baba Ramdev, saying he
should have called off the fast once the government gave him
assurances on his demands. But instead he instigated his followers to
continue the agitation with the result innocent men and women were
attacked.

Comparing the government's action to that of Emergency in 1975,
Bhushan said it shows to what extent the government can go to protect
black money offenders.

Agnivesh criticised the police action saying this kind of brutal
lathicharge and tear gas shelling on sleeping followers was
condemnable.

He also accused Baba Ramdev for instigating the crowd to stay back and
continue with the agitation even after his demands were met.

"But not calling off the agitation and continuing with some
provocative speeches were not helpful," Agnivesh said, adding the
whole thing was based on some fishy deal.

Another activist and Anna Hazare camp follower, Arvind Kejriwal, said
the action shows this government is drunk with power and the whole
country will agitate against this.

He said they would like the prime minister to explain as to what was
the provocation for such a brutal action.

The decision to conduct the midnight operation at Ramlila Maidan, the
venue of Baba Ramdev's hunger strike, was a "political" one, a top
Delhi police official said.

The operation, which caught Ramdev and his supporters unaware, began
after 1 am and it was almost over within a couple of hours.

"It was a political decision. Otherwise we would not have carried out
the operation although we had given permission only to hold a yoga
camp and not an agitation," said the police official.

He said the police tried to pursued Ramdev to leave the place
peacefully but he did not heed to the request and instead asked his
supporters not to leave the venue.

The official said followers of Ramdev had pelted stones at police personnel.

"We requested him to leave the place peacefully. But he did not listen
to us. Then his supporters started pelting stones at us," said the
official.

Strauss-Kahn gets bail, indicted on sex charges

Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was granted bail by a New York
court shortly after he was formally indicted on all sexual assault
charges.

The court agreed to free Strauss-Kahn from a New York City jail on
bail terms of $1 million in cash and also on the condition that he
would remain under house arrest in a Manhattan apartment under the
watch of armed guards.
Strauss-Kahn is allowed to stay with his wife in the apartment.

On June 6, the court will hold an arraignment hearing in which the
exact charges will be revealed.
The former IMF chief, who was indicted on all seven counts, is accused
of groping and mauling a Guinean maid in his room at Sofitel hotel in
Times Square and forcibly tried to have oral sex with her.

Since, prosecutors have argued that he is at flight risk, Strauss-Kahn
has to wear an electronic monitoring device and he will be monitored
by armed guards at his own expense.

IMAGES: 'Anxious' Obama monitors Osama hunt live!

We got him," United States President Barack Obama said as soon as it became clear that the special forces were able to kill Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan's Abbottabad.

Personally monitoring the US special forces operation against the Al Qaeda's top leader, Obama said "We got him" after he was confirmed that bin Laden was dead, according to John Brennan, Deputy National Security Advisor for Counterterrorism and Homeland Security.

Obama had made one of the objectives of his presidency to get hold of bin Laden dead or alive.

"As many of you know, that the President, even when he was a candidate, had a very clear idea about the approach he would take as president towards Osama bin Laden," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.

Osama holidaying in Sweden

An amazing picture of Osama bin Laden holidaying with his brothers and sisters in Sweden. He was just 14. Osama's dad had 52 children from different wives. Osama was child #17.

OSAMA DEAD PHOTO OFFICIAL!!!!!!!!!!!

Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden dead - Barack OBAMA

Al-Qaeda founder and leader Osama Bin Laden has been killed by US forces in Pakistan, President Obama has said.

The al-Qaeda leader was killed in a ground operation outside Islamabad based on US intelligence, the first lead for which emerged last August.

Mr Obama said after "a firefight", US forces took possession of his body.

Bin Laden was accused of being behind a number of atrocities, including the attacks on New York and Washington on 11 September 2001.

He was top of the US "most wanted" list.

Mr Obama said it was "the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat al-Qaeda".

The US has put its embassies around the world on alert, warning Americans of the possibility of al-Qaeda reprisal attacks for Bin Laden's killing.

Crowds gathered outside the White House in Washington DC, chanting "USA, USA" after the news emerged.

Live! Hasan Ali most protected after Kasab!

Hasan Ali Khan, the Pune-based stud farm owner arrested on massive money laundering charges, is the second most secure inmate of the Arthur Road jail after Ajmal Kasab, lodged like the Pakistani gunman on death row in
the high-security 'Anda cell'.
Khan has been lodged in the egg-shaped cell as he claimed to be facing threat to his life from Kolkata businessman Kashinath Tapuria, a co-accused arrested in the money laundering case, jail sources said.
"Assessing the seriousness of the threat Khan is facing, he was put in this special cell. Khan is not being allowed to mingle with other inmates and, as per the court orders, he is getting home made food," Inspector General (Prisons) Surinder Kumar said.
Khan was arrested by Enforcement Directorate on March 17 after the Supreme Court cancelled his bail granted by a Mumbai court. For seven days, Khan was in the ED's custody and then shifted to Arthur Road jail.

Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor dead

Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor dies at 79. She was hospitalised at the Cedars Senai Medical Centre in Los Angeles.

Birth Name

Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor

Nickname

Liz
Kitten

Height

5' 2" (1.57 m)

Mini Biography

Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor was born in London, England, on February 27, 1932. Although she was born an English subject, her parents were Americans, art dealers from St. Louis, Missouri (her father had gone to London to set up a gallery). Her mother had been an actress on the stage, but gave up that vocation when she married. Elizabeth lived in London until the age of seven, when the family left for the US when the clouds of war began brewing in Europe in 1939. They sailed without her father, who stayed behind to wrap up the loose ends of the art business.

The family relocated to Los Angeles, where Mrs. Taylor's own family had moved. Mr. Taylor followed not long afterward. A family friend noticed the strikingly beautiful little Elizabeth and suggested that she be taken for a screen test. Her test impressed executives at Universal Pictures enough to sign her to a contract. Her first foray onto the screen was in There's One Born Every Minute (1942), released when she was ten. Universal dropped her contract after that one film, but Elizabeth was soon picked up by MGM.

The first production she made with that studio was Lassie Come Home (1943), and on the strength of that one film, MGM signed her for a full year. She had minuscule parts in her next two films, The White Cliffs of Dover (1944) and Jane Eyre (1943) (the former made while she was on loan to 20th Century-Fox). Then came the picture that made Elizabeth a star: MGM's National Velvet (1944). She played Velvet Brown oppositeMickey Rooney. The film was a smash hit, grossing over $4 million. Elizabeth now had a long-term contract with MGM and was its top child star. She made no films in 1945, but returned in 1946 in Courage of Lassie (1946). In 1947, when she was 15, she starred in Life with Father(1947) with such heavyweights as William Powell, Irene Dunne and Zasu Pitts.

Throughout the rest of the 1940s and into the early 1950s Elizabeth appeared in film after film with mostly good results. Her busiest year was 1954, with roles in Rhapsody (1954), Beau Brummell (1954), The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954) and Elephant Walk (1954). She was 22 now, and even at that young age was considered one of the world's great beauties. In 1955 she appeared in the hit Giant (1956) with James Dean.

Sadly, Dean never saw the release of the film, as he died in a car accident in 1955. The next year saw Elizabeth star in Raintree County (1957), an overblown epic made, partially, in Kentucky. Critics called it dry as dust. Despite the film's shortcomings, Elizabeth was nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal of Southern belle Susanna Drake. However, on Oscar night the honor went to Joanne Woodward for The Three Faces of Eve (1957). In 1958 Elizabeth starred as Maggie Pollitt in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958).

The film received rave reviews from the critics and Elizabeth was nominated again for an Academy Award for best actress, but this time she lost to Susan Hayward in I Want to Live! (1958). She was still a hot commodity in the film world, though. In 1959 she appeared in another mega-hit and received yet another Oscar nomination for Suddenly, Last Summer (1959). Once again, however, she lost out, this time to Simone Signoretfor Room at the Top (1959). Her Oscar drought ended in 1960 when she brought home the coveted statue for her flawless performance inBUtterfield 8 (1960) as Gloria Wandrous, a call girl who is involved with a married man. Some critics blasted the movie but they couldn't ignore her performance. There were no more films for Elizabeth for three years. She left MGM after her contract ran out, but would do projects for the studio later down the road. In 1963 she starred in Cleopatra (1963), which was one of the most expensive productions up to that time--as was her salary, a whopping $1,000,000.

This was the film where she met her future and fifth husband, Richard Burton (the previous four were Conrad Hilton, Michael Wilding, Michael Todd--who died in a plane crash--and Eddie Fisher). Her next handful of films were lackluster at best, especially 1963's The V.I.P.s (1963), which was shredded by most critics. Elizabeth was to return to fine form, however, with the role of Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?(1966). Her performance as the loudmouthed, shrewish, unkempt Martha was easily her finest to date.

For this she would win her second Oscar and one that was more than well-deserved, but her films afterward didn't approach the intensity of that one. Since then she has appeared in several movies, both theatrical and made-for-television, and a number of TV programs. In February 1997 Elizabeth entered the hospital for the removal of a brain tumor. The operation was successful. As for her private life, she divorced Burton in 1974, only to remarry him in 1975 and divorce him, permanently, in 1976. She has had two husbands since, Senator John Warner and Larry Fortensky.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Denny Jackson

Mini Biography

Liz was a leading child star by the age of 12 after her performance in MGM's National Velvet (1944). It wasn't long before she was knocking critics dead as a serious adult actress with films like Giant (1956), Raintree County (1957) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958). She reigned the box office as the quintessential movie star taking the breath away from viewers with her glamorous looks and those velvet eyes. Her film career floundered in the 1960s and 1970s with a string of unusual and unsuccessful films. Her personal life has been a tempest of love affairs, unsuccessful marriages and multiple medical problems. Upon the death of her friend, Rock Hudson in 1985, she began her crusade on the behalf of AIDS sufferers. In the 1990s, she has also developed a successful series of scents. Her acting career has been relegated to the occasional tv-movie or TV guest appearance.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Ray Hamel

Mini Biography

Elizabeth Taylor is considered one of the last, if not the last major star, to have come out of the old Hollywood studio system. And not just any studio, the top of the heap: MGM. Her early movies, as a child in the early 1940s, starred such Hollywood luminaries as Orson Welles andSpencer Tracy. She quickly grew up, however, and by 1950 was, if not starring in, assuming major responsibilities for the success of motion pictures she appeared in. Then with major roles onscreen, came worldwide attention off-screen, most notably due to a succession of famous and/or rich husbands and a series of health crises throughout her life. To put it simply, Elizabeth Taylor has lived a life far more exciting and dramatic than any movie she's ever appeared in and probably most any other movie you could name. She's known internationally for her beauty, especially for those violet eyes, with which she captured audiences early on in her youth and has kept the world hooked on ever since. She's won the Oscar twice and she's earned her place in and out of the sun.

WikiLeaks debate: 'It's PM's habit to blame others'

A united Opposition on Wednesday mounted a scathing attack on Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh over the cash-for-votes scam, wondering as to how he could wash his hands of the matter as he had headed the government in 2008 and was the "biggest beneficiary" of the trust vote.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj made a stinging attack on Dr Singh in the Lok Sabha, telling him that as head of the government he should take responsibility instead of making others a scapegoat for the omissions and commissions of his regime.

"It is the habit of the prime minister to blame others. If it is price rise then Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar is responsible, if it is 2G then A Raja is responsible and if it is Commonwealth Games then Suresh Kalmadi is to blame," she said.

I don't know anything, I am not aware of anything, there are coalition compulsions and I am not that much guilty as I am made out to be' ...the people are fed up with such excuses. They are asking why are you the prime minister," she said, participating in a discussion in the Lok Sabha.

"The issue involves your leadership," she said, quoting an Urdu couplet which means one should not make any excuse but tell how the caravan got looted. The prime minister was present in the House and was listening intently to the debate.

Several strong quakes rock northeastern Japan

Several strong earthquakes shook northeastern parts of Japan [ Images ] on Wednesday morning, days after a devastating 8.9 magnitude earthquake-cum-tsunami rocked the country on March 11, the Japan Meteorological Agency has said.

The Kyodo news service quoted the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency as saying that the latest quake, which is believed to be the aftershock of the previous catastrophic one, did not affect the already troubled Fukushima Daiichi and Daini nuclear power plants, and the ongoing reconstruction work there.

No tsunami warnings were issued following the quakes, it added.

Among them, a quake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.0 shook mainly Fukushima Prefecture at 7:12 hours local time.

The quake measured 7 in Iwaki, and 4 in several locations in Fukushima, Miyagi and Ibaraki prefectures. It was followed by additional quakes, one of which also measured more than 5 in Fukushima Prefecture and lower than 5 in Ibaraki Prefecture, the agency added.

ED raids Hasan Ali's accountant's Pune residence

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday carried out searches at the Pune residence of Sunil Shinde, the chartered account of businessman Hasan Ali Khan, who is facing charges of money laundering and tax evasion.

Searches are being conducted at Shinde's residence since early Wednesday morning, ED sources said. They declined to provide further details, saying the operation was still on.

Khan, the Pune-based stud-farm owner, has been arrested on charges of stashing away huge amount of black money in banks abroad.

The 53-year-old is also facing a Rs 70,000-crore tax demand notice from the income tax department.

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Why Congress fears the latest Wikileaks revelation

The latest Wikileaks revelations will make many believe that the UPA government mustered a majority in Parliament last year in an unscrupulous manner and the Americans were prime witness to that crime, says Sheela Bhatt.

In New Delhi, reporters know that the issue is dead serious when the government completely denies allegations, puts up a fight as if war has broken out and when they even take on media to dare them come close to the real issue.

The Congress party, particularly, does it so every time when they want to save the prestige of its chief Sonia Gandhi and the credibility of the Gandhi family.

They have done it again on Thursday to thwart the political damage due to revealing Wikileaks cables.

Sonia Gandhi's extremely close confidante Satish Sharma stands exposed with the release of the latest Wikileaks cable published in The Hindu.

The Wikileaks cable reveals that how five days before the Manmohan Singh government faced a crucial vote of confidence on the Indo-US nuclear deal on July 22, 2008, Nachiketa Kapur, a political aide of Sharma, showed a US embassy employee 'two chests containing cash' that he said was part of a bigger fund of Rs 50 crore to Rs 60 crore that the party had assembled to purchase the support of MPs for the trust vote.

Let us keep aside for the moment the debate over Wikileaks credibility or the ethical value of something that blatantly gives only a one side's view of the issue.

The claims made in the published cables sent by American diplomats, based in New Delhi, to Washington can be ignored only by the thick-skinned political class.

In a nutshell, the hidden meaning of the cables is that the Congress government paid money to Members of Parliament to get votes on floor of the house with the full knowledge of US embassy in Chankyapuri.

It's astounding to see that Americans were witnesses to a corrupt drama of buying of MPs in Indian Parliament. The last thing on their mind was value of democracy so finely inscribed in the American Constitution.

And despite being in the know of the UPA government's corruption to buy votes, they sent Kapur on an all-expense-paid junket to the US.

WikiLeaks' latest puts Satish Sharma's aide in middle of cash-for-votes scam

For the Manmohan Singh-led government embattled by charges of corruption, the latest WikiLeaks expose published by The Hindu newspaper on Thursday can only come as further bad news.

According to the WikiLeaks cables published by the Hindu, just five days before the United Progressive Alliance [Images ] government faced a trust vote in 2008 over the Indo-US nuclear deal, a political aide to Congress politician Satish Sharma showed a United States embassy official 'two chests containing cash'. This, he described as part of a large stash of Rs 50 to Rs 60 crore the Congress party had put together to buy out votes from members of Parliament.

The cable sent to the State Department by US charge d'affaires Steven White on July 17, 2008 (162458: secret), mentioned a visit paid by the embassy's political counselor to Satish Sharma during which the latter described how he and others in the party were working hard to ensure the government won the confidence vote on July 22.

'Sharma's political aide Nachiketa Kapur mentioned to an embassy staff member in an aside on July 16 that Ajit Singh's RLD had been paid Rupees 10 crore (about $2.5 million) for each of their four MPs to support the government. Kapur mentioned that money was not an issue at all, but the crucial thing was to ensure that those who took the money would vote for the government,' White wrote in his cable, adding that 'Kapur showed the Embassy employee two chests containing cash and said that around Rupees 50-60 crore (about $25 million) was lying around the house for use as pay-offs.'

Apart from this, Satish Sharma also told the political counsellor 'that Dr Singh and others were trying to work on the Akali Dal (8 votes) through financier Sant Chatwal and others, but unfortunately it did not work out.'

Further, 'Sharma mentioned that he was also exploring the possibility of trying to get former prime minister Atal Bihar Vajpayee's son-in-law Ranjan Bhattacharya to speak to Bharatiya Janata Party [ Images ] representatives to try to divide the BJP ranks.'

White further wrote in his cable: 'Another Congress party insider told the Political Counsellor that minister of commerce and industry Kamal Nath is also helping to spread largesse. "Formerly he could only offer small planes as bribes," according to this interlocutor. "Now he can pay for votes with jets".'

Interestingly, on the eve of the trust vote the Bharatiya Janata Party produced hard cash on the floor of the Lok Sabha and charged the government with using it to buy MPs' support. But the subsequent probe into the accusation went nowhere.

In White's cable, Satish Sharma is described thus: 'A Congress party MP from the Rajya Sabha, and a close associate of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi [ Images ] who is considered a very close family friend of Congress president Sonia Gandhi [ Images ].'

And what became of Nachiketa Kapur? The Hindu mentions that in November 2008, he visited the US under the State Department's I-Vote 2008 programme as an observer for that year's presidential election.

Nuclear power emergency after fire at N-plant: Fire at Onagawa nuclear plant in Kyodo, north east Japan. The country declares nuclear power emergency

Earlier in the day, Japan had shut down its five nuclear power plants and declared its nuclear installations safe. Apparently, the cooler is not working.

Tsunami washes away cars, houses in Japan

Updates from quake-struck Japan: Anearthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale has struck Japan (scroll down for that news). Many have been injured in the quake, while smoke bellowed from one. Narita airport closed.

A tsunami has hit northern Japan in Onahama city in Fukushima. TV images show scores of cars floating in the harbour,while more cars, trucks and houses were swept away by the raging waters. Four-metre waves have lashed the quake hit area, while 10-metre tsunami alert has been issued.

Specifice tsunami warning issued not just for Japan, Russia, Marcus Island and the Northern Marianas. A tsunami watch has been issued for Guam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia and the US state of Hawaii.

Bofors case closed as Rs 250 cr spent

-- The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vinod Yadavof the Delhi courtsaid:

-- It was closing the case as Rs 250 crore had already been spent in the 20-year-old case and asks, "When will this spending end?".

-- All cases against Q have been dropped and it may be remembered that he has never ever appeared before an Indian court.

-- There was a long list of pending cases and it cannot afford to drag it any case.

-- All attempts to extradite Quattorocchi in the 25-year-long case have failed.

--The application of the CBI is allowed because if the logical conclusion of a case is not possible then it is better to leave the issue.

'We have decided to resume the dialogue process'

Maintaining that India will enter talks with Pakistan with an open mind, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said the country wants to resolve all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, through dialogue and purposeful negotiations.

He also asked Pakistan to take resolute action against extremist groups operating in the country and leave no stone unturned in bringing to book perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks.

Referring to his recent statement in Parliament that the sub-continent will not realise its full development potential unless relations between India and Pakistan are normalised, he said, "Despite all the problems, we have decided to resume the dialogue process."

"We will enter these talks with an open mind. We wish to resolve all outstanding issues between two countries through friendly dialogues and purposeful negotiations. And this includes the issue of Jammu and Kashmir," he said in his address to the third convocation of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Science and Technology.

Voicing concern over the activities of extremist groups in Pakistan, he said, "We cannot forget what happened in Mumbai. I urge the government of Pakistan to leave no stone unturned to bring the culprits (of Mumbai attacks) to book".

"But I believe that there is a growing conviction in Pakistan, among the thinking segments of the population, that something serious needs to be done to curb the influence of these groups on Pakistani society and polity," he said

"I urge Pakistan to take strong and resolute action against these groups that is in the interest of Pakistan, the region and the world at large," Dr Singh said.

Dr Singh said the Centre recognises the genuine political and emotional grievances of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

"We will always keep the interest of people of Jammu and Kashmir in our minds. We are willing to discuss all issues that have a bearing on peace, dignity and well-being of the people of Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

Telangana Cong MPs, MLAs put mass resignations on hold

The Telangana [ Images ] issue assumed centrestage on Thursday night as Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily [Images ] held consultations with Congress members of Legislative Assembly and members of Parliament. Though a lot of hope was pinned by the Telangana leaders on this meeting there was no decision taken on issue of statehood, say insiders. 

However, the mass resignation programme by these elected representatives will be put on hold till the assembly elections in five states -- Tamil Nadu, Kerala [ Images ], West Bengal [ Images ], Assam and Puducherry -- conclude, which is mid-May. 

During the meeting, Moily urged the elected representatives to put on hold their decision to resign from their posts in their demand for a separate Telangana state. "The Congress is presently focusing on the assembly elections. We are working out a solution for Telangana and this would be done immediately after the assembly elections. Hence, I urge all of you not to act in haste and wait for the elections to be completed," he said. 

The Congress leaders from the Telangana region did not argue much on this assurance and have decided to hold back their decision to step down from their posts. Hanumanth Rao, an MP from Telangana, said after this meeting that there will no resignations. "As of now as we believe that the government in New Delhi [ Images ] will take a decision on Telangana at the earliest," he said.

The MPs, however, decided to keep their protest alive in Parliament. 

On Friday, they attended the Parliament with a ribbon tied on their mouths as a reminder to the government that they will not raise their voices on the issue, but their demand is very much alive. 

However, protests from the Telangana Rastriya Samithi are expected to continue. They have now decided to fight the battle outside Hyderabad. TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao and MP Vijayashanti, who staged several protests in New Delhi, have now returned to Hyderabad and will be meeting with the political Joint Action Committee to decide on the further course of action. 

The JAC has organised a massive programme known as the Stall Hyderabad programme in which 10 lakh people from the Telangana region will squat on the roads of Hyderabad.

The JAC is, however, not pleased with the meeting that the Congress leaders held with Moily. They say that they are not concerned with the law minister's assurances and will have to take the movement forward at any cost. A meeting will be held between the JAC and TRS soon, which will chalk out the future course of action.

Sonia should be quizzed about 2G scam, CVC row

The assumption that Sonia Gandhi can do no wrong has to be challenged by the public, the media and the political class

Sonia Gandhi can do no wrong.

That seems to be the basic assumption in the current debate on the various controversial decisions taken by the government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh since it was formed after the elections of 2009.

These include decisions related to the questionable functioning of the ministry of telecommunications or the wrongful appointment of someone facing a probe to the post of the chief vigilance commissioner.

In all the debates in public -- whether in the media or by political parties -- the focus has been on the role of the prime minister, other concerned ministers and bureaucrats. I watched with interest the debate on various TV channels about the adverse judgment of a bench of the Supreme Court in the case regarding the procedure followed for the appointment of PJ Thomas as the chief vigilance commissioner

The eminent people who participated in the debates, as well as the TV anchors, focussed only on the role of the various personalities in the government from the prime minister downwards.

Not one of them mentioned even in passing the possible role of Sonia Gandhi -- as the leader of Congress party -- in these controversial decisions. Even the spokespersons of opposition parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, did not mention her name in their interventions.

Does this mean all these controversial decisions were taken only by the government, with the Congress leadership playing no role in it? Any objective analyst would find it difficult to accept this.