New Delhi, June 1 (ANI): Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is expected to meet yoga guru Baba Ramdev to convince him not to go ahead with his hunger strike plans from June 4 over a demand to get Indian black money stashed abroad.
So concerned and worried is government over Baba Ramdev's hunger strike threat that it has decided to give him a red carpet welcome when he arrives in New Delhi.
A television channel said that Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahay has been deputed to receive the Baba along with senior government officials, including Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister T.K.A. Nair.
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, appealed to Baba Ramdev not to go ahead with his hunger strike plan, but failed to convince him.
Dr. Singh"s appeal came a day after an over two-hour-long meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) that reportedly discussed Baba Ramdev"s hunger strike threat.
The government had earlier deputed Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath and Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Chairman Sudhir Chandra to persuade Baba Ramdev not to undertake the agitation but the effort failed.
Meanwhile, in an open letter to the Prime Minister, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Gadkari said bringing back Indian black money kept in tax havens abroad was on the agenda of both the Congress and BJP-led alliances during the 2009 general elections.
"I would like to draw attention to your promise of bringing back black money in 100 days after assuming office...It pains me to point out that the inaction of the UPA for the last seven years on the black money front has led to popular resentment among the masses," Gadkari said.
Ramdev, whom Gadkari calls the "rock star of Yoga" in his letter, will go on a fast-unto-death from June 4.
"BJP strongly feels that the government should initiate immediate measures to track this national property and get it back so that this money can be used for developmental projects to ameliorate the deprived sections of society," Gadkari said.
He "earnestly" requested the Prime Minister to personally intervene and accept Ramdev"s "just and reasonable" demands.
"Mere creation of a wing under the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to track and prosecute economic offenders is not going to solve this monumental problem. Nor would issuing appeals to the Yoga Guru to give up his plan defuse the threatening crisis," he said.
Gadkari said he was glad Singh had discussed with his cabinet colleagues the "seriousness" of Ramdev"s decision to go on fast-unto-death and its "frightening consequences".
He sought a "categorical assurance" from the government to Ramdev that those arrested recently for corruption in Commonwealth Games, 2G scam and other cases would be punished and the process to recover the money would be started.
BJP sees in Ramdev"s strike another opportunity to take on the Congress-led UPA government on corruption. Party sources said he is likely to get open support of the RSS as well on this issue.
In his letter, the BJP President heaped praise on Ramdev for his initiative.
"We in the BJP have every reason to believe Baba Ramdev"s assertion that black money to the tune of Rs 400 lakh crore is lying in several international banks. His assessment has been corroborated by several experts," Gadkari said.
He also stated that Ramdev has been on the "vanguard of the crusade against the scourge of corruption."
Ramdev is demanding anti-graft laws and asking the government to get the list of those Indians who have parked their illegal money abroad. (ANI)
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