Chidambaram to blame for midnight swoop, Ramdev tells Supreme Court

Union home minister P Chidambaram came under severe criticism by yoga guru Ramdev who told the Supreme Court that the midnight swoop on him and his yoga followers on June 4 last had been orchestrated by the latter.

Ramdev’s lawyer Ram Jethmalani, who is disgusted with the Centre’s decision to seek review of  the black money judgment on Monday last, urged the court to ask Chidambaram to file an affidavit explaining the circumstances that compelled the government to brutally attack innocent persons who had gathered in support of Baba’s concern over black money and corruption.

In fact Chidambaram should be asked to give an explanation in his personal   capacity, Jethmalani added.

A bench of Justice BS Chauhan and Justice Swatanter Kumar fixed July 25 for hearing the matter as by then the government and the Delhi police will have filed their response.

Raising a fundamental constitutional issue regarding free movement and freedom of speech and gathering, Jethmalani said Ramdev was illegally picked up by the police and airdropped at distant Hardwar in Uttarkhand in complete disregard to the law of the land.

“There was no evection order against my client,” an agitated lawyer told Supreme Court adding only Chidambaram could explain why it was done against the congregation at the Ram Lila ground last month.

However, judges asked police’s counsel Harish Salve that the law enforcing agency would have to offer certain explanations on their conduct against the peaceful congregation.

“Why police didn’t register an FIR on the complaint of Ramdev’s followers against the alleged atrocities?” judges asked. They also expressed dissatisfaction over the police earlier affidavit saying it doesn’t clarify what exactly happened between June 1 and June 3.

“The DVDs and photographs and various documents clearly show that yoga was being practiced at the venue,” the judge noted. Judges were also anguished at the police lobbing tear gas shells and water cannons at the enclosed premises to drive out the people.

“Is it not expected that the tear gas and water cannons should be used in enclosed part... Was it not that people at 11:30 pm were sleeping? You resort to lathi charge. The photographs show the commissioner of police is talking to someone,” judges pointed out as they screened the photographs of the bloody site.

Reacting sharply to the media reports highlighting the police excesses against a large number of Ramdev’s pupils, the top court on June 6 took suo moto action and issued notices to the police and other concerned ministries.

Later police commissioner BK Gupta filed an affidavit defending the police action and refuting the allegation of excesses against the helpless people. He rather blamed the victims of going berserk and attacking the police.