Goa: Baba Ramdev to hold day-long fast today

New Delhi: Yoga guru Baba Ramdev will be holding a day-long fast in Goa on Sunday protesting corruption, black money and illegal mining.

This will be Ramdev's first step into the limelight after the Supreme Court held him equally responsible for the Delhi Police crackdown on his supporters in June last year.

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Thursday claimed victory in the Ramlila crackdown case after the Supreme Court came down heavily on the state and Delhi Police for the midnight violence. However, he said that it was not right to say that he was equally responsible for the incident.

"It is not correct that I was equally responsible. Delhi police edited the CCTV footage which was shown to the court. Let me read the entire verdict then I will react to what the court has said about holding me partly responsible for the incident. Is holding protest a crime? Ramdev said.

"Government misused it powers and violated human rights. Amicus curiae had given all proofs to the court that senior police officers were taking directions from the Home Ministry. I told the crowd to maintain peace. I could not have done more. I told the cops present there to arrest me and told them not to do lathi charge but they did not listen," Ramdev said in a press conference.

He said that he will continue his agitation against corruption. "Let me read the entire verdict then I will react to what the court has said about holding me partly responsible for the incident. Is holding protest a crime? Ramdev said.

The Supreme Court has pulled up yoga guru Baba Ramdev and the Delhi Police in the Ramlila Maidan crackdown case, saying that both were responsible. The Supreme Court ruling said that Ramdev is guilty of negligence in the midnight crackdown case, but at the same time the court also said that the police crackdown on June 5, 2011 was unnecessary.

Observing that it was a glaring example of trust deficit between the people and the government, the court also blamed Ramdev, who was on an anti-corruption fast along with his followers at Ramlilla Maidan, for the violence.

Senior Supreme lawyer Ram Jethmalani said that Home Minister P Chidambram should step down.

"Who gave power to the Home Minister of India not to allow the demonstration and deport people from Delhi. The entire crowd was sleeping when the attack took place," he said.