Baba Ramdev launches fast against corruption

Baba Ramdev launched his indefinite fast against corruption and black money in Delhi on Saturday after the government failed to persuade him to call off his protest.

The yoga guru began the protest along with thousands of his followers at the Ramlila maidan in Delhi where he was joined by Swami Sadhavi Ritambhara and other religious leaders from the Sikh, Jain and Muslim communities.

Before launching the fast, Ramdev held a yoga and bhajan session during which he told the gathering that the protest was intended to save the country from corruption and ensure that the poor get a good life.

"Nothing is impossible, everything is possible and we are not going to be defeated," the saffron-clad Baba told the gathering, referring to his demand of bringing back black money stashed in tax havens abroad.

Ramdev arrived at the stage at approximately 4.50 am on Saturday to a huge round of applause from his followers.

Union ministers Kapil Sibal and Subodh Kant Sahay had held a marathon meeting on Friday with Ramdev to persuade him to not go ahead with his indefinite fast. However, the talks failed to reach any breakthrough, with the yoga guru insisting that all his demands should be met with completely.

Baba Ramdev had earlier alleged that there was a conspiracy against him to ensure that he does not go ahead with his protest fast but asserted that it had "failed".

During his discourse at the Ramlila grounds, the yoga guru refused to reveal what the conspiracy was but said he will reveal it at the "right time".

"I will certainly not talk about all issues today, there was a conspiracy but it has failed. What was the conspiracy, I will not say today. When the right time comes, I will talk about it," Ramdev said.

He said his satyagraha, along with thousands of people across the country, was to ensure that corruption is rooted out from the nation.

"What will India get from this protest? India will be saved now... People will get an opportunity for the first time that in all government professional colleges one can carry on studies in his/her mother tongue," he said.

"Nothing is impossible, everything is possible and we are not going to be defeated," the yoga guru told the gathering, referring to bringing back of black money stashed in tax havens abroad.