Sonepat:
The BJP's Sushma Swaraj travelled to Sonepat in Haryana today to attend the cremation of Rajbala. The 51-year-old died in hospital yesterday, nearly four months after she was hit, allegedly by the police, at Baba Ramdev's camp in Delhi. "The Home Minister should answer for Rajbala's death", said the BJP's Nirmala Sitharaman this afternoon.
On the night of June 5, there were more than 30,000 people present at the yoga icon's camp which had taken on a political cause. Baba Ramdev was on a hunger strike, demanding that the government act faster and more vigorously to bring back black money or undeclared income stashed by Indians in foreign bank accounts.
The police decided to lathi-charge the crowd after Baba Ramdev disappeared from stage and melted into a massive sea of supporters to avoid being arrested. Around 70 people were reportedly injured. Rajbala was taken to a Delhi hospital where she was diagnosed with spinal injuries. The police says she was injured in a stampede that took place at Ramlila Maidan.
He was later tracked down dressed as a woman near the railway station.
The Supreme Court is investigating the controversial lathi-charge, described by the Opposition as "a murder of democracy". Security camera footage has been studied by the court.
"The Home Minister must clarify who ordered the action at Ramlila Grounds," said Ms Sitharaman this afternoon.
The BJP has also been asking for Mr Chidambaram's resignation in connection with India's telecom scam. A recent note sent by the Finance Ministry to the Prime Minister's Office finds Mr Chidambaram did not do enough, as Finance Minister in 2008, to insist that valuable spectrum be auctioned. Instead, then Telecom Minister A Raja gave the spectrum along with under-valued mobile network licenses to companies that were ineligible. Mr Raja is now in jail; so are the executives of some of India's best-known telecoms.