NEW DELHI: Two days after CPM leader Brinda Karat alleged that spiritual and yoga guru Ramdev peddled ayurvedic medicine laced with human skull and animal residue, the CPM stood isolated. Almost all non-Left parties rallied behind Ramdev on Thursday.
Even as the CPM-Ramdev war took an ugly turn on Thursday with scores of supporters of the guru trying to storm the Marxist headquarters at AKG Bhavan here and CPM workers coming out to confront them, leaders such as AICC general secretary Ambika Soni, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and even Uttranchal Congress leaders came out in the open backing Ramdev.
Even Maneka Gandhi, noted animal right activist and a proponent of vegetarianism, who came out in support of Karat on Thursday, backtracked reportedly under pressure from the BJP/RSS brass.
Lalu had a different take on the issue. He said he does not bother even if powdered human skull or animal testicles were part of the medicine. The railway minister, in his inimitable style, said the composition of medicine was immaterial so long as it improved one's health.
"Jab tak umar badhta hai, kya farak padta hai ki usme manav ya danav ka haddi hai. (So long as it improves one' s health, how does it matter whether it contains human or devil's bones)," Lalu said, adding MNCs had conspired against him and now they are targeting Ramdev.
Sharing Lalu's views, Ambika Soni said, "Baba Ramdev is a highly rated sant and his medicine has cured people. Any allegation about his medicine should have been made carefully."
Uttranchal Congress general secretary Dhirendra Pratap demanded a "public apology from Karat for alleging that chief minister ND Tiwari is hand in glove with Ramdev. "Brinda Karat has adulterated the sample for cheap publicity," he said, threatening to sit on a dharna outside CPM headquarters if she does not apologise.
Some 30 Ramdev supporters were taken into custody for trying to storm AKG Bhavan. Soon after the incident, the politburo issued a statement blaming "hoodlums" belonging to the Sangh pariwar for attempting to forcibly enter the party office to vandalise it.
