New Delhi:
The Delhi Police has denied that its action to dismantle Baba Ramdev's massive sit-in on June 4 was inappropriate. The police have blamed the yoga icon for causing much of the chaos that led to violence that night.
In its affidavit filed before the Supreme Court today, the police said that the permission was granted for only for a gathering of 5,000 people were but 65,000 people had gathered at Ramlila Maidan at a camp led by the yoga teacher, who was fasting against corruption and black money. The Delhi police, in its affidavit, said that the congregation was allowed only for yoga camp and for no other purpose.
Late at the intervening night of June 4-5, while many people were sleeping, the police was seen teargassing the crowd and beating some people with batons. Baba Ramdev was caught trying to escape to the railway station and was flown to his ashram in Uttarakhand. The police blame the violence at the camp on the chaos that followed as Baba Ramdev tried to evade arrest by disappearing into the crowd at his camp.
Activists and Opposition parties have described the police action as a violation of the right to peacefully protest.
The BJP rubbished the claims made by Delhi Police. "If the Delhi Police can lie so blatantly in front of the Supreme Court...then I would just say that the Honourable Supreme Court should thoroughly look at all the evidence in the case," said BJP Spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad.
The court had issued notices to the Union Home Secretary, Delhi Chief Secretary and the Delhi Police Commissioner, and had asked them to respond within two weeks about the circumstances that led to the operation.
The police said that it was forced to retaliate after supporters of Baba Ramdev threw stones and flower pots at them when policemen tried to reach the stage where Baba Ramdev was delivering a speech.
The police say 72 people were injured as the camp was broken up - 39 civilians and 23 policemen.
The government asked the police to end the camp because it violated the permit for 5000 people to attend a yoga camp and not a political demonstration. As policemen tried to approach Baba Ramdev to detain him, he was on stage, delivering what the police describes as a speech designed to incite his followers into violence. As policemen neared the yoga teacher, he leapt off the stage. Tear-gassing followed. The yoga teacher was found alter dressed as a woman near the train station.
Raj Bala back on ventilator supportFifty-one-year-old Raj Bala, who suffered spine injuries during the police action against yoga teacher Ramdev and his supporters at Ramlila Maidan, was again put on ventilator support today after doctors found 'her own respiration to be inadequate'.
Doctors attending on the Gurgaon resident at the Neurosurgery Department ICU of G B Pant Hospital in New Delhi, said, "Her condition is still very critical and her vital parameters are being maintained with increased pharmacological support."
"Weaning from ventilator was again attempted but her respiration continues to be inadequate. Hence she continues to be on ventilatory support," a doctor with the hospital said.
Doctors had carried out a life saving tracheotomy procedure on June 13 on Raj Bala.
Doctors also said that her neurological status remains unchanged and she is quadriplegic (paralysis caused by illness or injury to a human).
(
With PTI Inputs)