Bihar CM Nitish bats for Ramdev, says 'everyone has right to express opinion'

Patna/New Delhi -  Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday extended full support to Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev's agitation against black money, saying every individual has a right to express his opinion in a democratic set up.

"A peaceful movement is our constitutional and democratic right. Every individual or a group has the right to launch a peaceful movement.  Everyone has the right to express his or her opinion. So, if anybody raises his point, which is for the welfare of the common man, it should be seen from that perspective," Kumar told mediapersons in Patna.

"If somebody is fighting for a noble cause, then he must be fully supported. And to endorse our support for this noble cause, our party president also went there. 
If the cause will be correct, we will support it. Baba Ramdev is doing the right thing, Anna Hazare was also correct. Now, the news has come that Anna Hazare will float a new political party, what's wrong in it," he added.

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, however, refused to comment on Baba Ramdev's protest, saying 'all parties must rise above partisan politics and work together to address the issues of corruption and black money'.

Mayawati pointed out that the Bahujan Samaj Party has been against corruption from the very beginning.

"Our party has been against corruption since the very first day. We have always supported all the agencies and organizations, who are struggling to eradicate corruption," said Mayawati.

Delhi Police earlier this afternoon took yoga guru Baba Ramdev and his supporters into preventive custody at the Ranjit Singh flyover here during the march to the Parliament.

"We will continue to fight this government... that is our strategy now...," said Baba Ramdev after submitting himself to be taken into police custody.

Baba Ramdev, who was in his trademark red robes and a black band of protest on his forehead, also asked his supporters not to resort to violence.

"We had decided that we would make the government hear our voices by a hunger strike. We were marching peacefully, now the police have stopped us. We respect the law," said Baba Ramdev before being arrested.

"The Delhi Police has to listen to the government, they are puppets. Congress' hand is not with us; these cops now say they will take me away," he added.

Baba Ramdev was earlier denied permission for the march by the Delhi Police.

The police personnel are likely to take Baba Ramdev and the others to a stadium in Bawana that will double up as a makeshift jail. From Bawana, it will be difficult for them to congregate near the city centre again.

Delhi Police has brought in more additional forces to clear the crowd that has gathered around Baba Ramdev. Delhi Police is likely to release most of the supporters taken into preventive custody by this evening. 

Baba Ramdev, who secured the support of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and brought them on his platform at the Ramlila Maidan here today, earlier in the day declared that he would take his ongoing protest on black money and corruption to Parliament and vowed to oust Congress in the next Lok Sabha polls.

Baba Ramdev said that the aim of his protest is to ensure that no ' dishonest person enters Parliament' following the Lok Sabha elections in 2014. 

The yoga guru, who is having the support of the National Democratic Alliance parties in his mission has, however, denies having any 'political agenda'.

Baba Ramdev's last outing at the Ramlila Maidan, in June last year, saw a midnight police crackdown with authorities claiming that he violated norms agreed upon. He was caught by police, while trying to flee from the protesting venue in a woman's attire.