New Delhi: Putting up a brave front amid Opposition's criticism of the midnight crackdown at Ramlila Maidan, Congress on Monday launched a no-holds-barred attack on Ramdev and the BJP accusing them of trying to destabilise the government at the Centre.
At a time when there is talk about growing disconnect between the party and the government, the AICC also firmly backed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with party general secretary Janaradan Dwivedi hailing him as the biggest Sanyasi (saint) in contemporary politics.
Making light of Ramdev and his fast, Dwivedi said, "One who calls himself a saint or monk should ask himself how many saints of the country are behind him. This is humiliation to the real saints of the country."
"A Satyagrahi does not run away stealthily wearing women dresses. Satyagrahi is always ready to sacrifice his life. Such a person is being compared to Mahatma Gandhi and Vivekananda. Gandhiji never said he feared for his life from the state," Dwivedi said taking a dig at Ramdev.
Launching a blistering attack on the BJP, which is seeking to make a big issue out of the Ramdev incident, Dwivedi ridiculed the fast of BJP leaders at the Rajghat today as also likening the police action at Ramlila ground to Jalianwala Bagh massacre.
"Some people are sitting on fast at Rajghat. These are those people, whose thought led to the creation of Rajghat Samaadhi before time. Gandhiji wanted to live for 125 years. But Rajghat came into existence much before," Dwivedi said.
Accusing BJP of trying to destabilise the Congress-led government at the Centre, he said, "After tolerating UPA-I and two years of UPA-II, they (BJP) are very uneasy about how to spend three more years (of UPA rule). Therefore, they are trying to spread chaos and anarchy any whatever manner they can and find a way out for themselves."
He termed Sonia Gandhi's refusal to accept Prime Ministership as "no child's play" and said, "There is no bigger Sanyasi in contemporary politics than the Prime Minister. Nobody can raise a finger at Manmohan Singh."
Dwivedi's statements, sharply critical of the BJP, RSS and Ramdev, came a day after Congress President Sonia Gandhi deliberated deeply over the strategy ahead after the police action against the Yoga guru and his supporters.
The AICC general secretary, at the same time, steered clear of questions on whether the party endorsed the police action noting that the government and the party have different spheres of work.
In the backdrop of reports that Sonia was critical of the midnight police action, his briefing projected that the government and the party are on the same page on the recent developments including Ramdev's fast.
"So far as policies and social issues are concerned, party takes a decision. So far as legal and official action and decision is concerned, they are taken by the government," Dwivedi said.
"Do you expect me to answer that?" was his terse response when asked whether there was any disconnect between the party and the government on the issue.
Asked if Ramdev was an RSS man, why four ministers of the Centre went to receive him at the airport, the senior Congress leader acknowledged "that very generosity was misused...the basic nature of the government is liberal."
He declared that Congress would fight tooth and nail the forces of anarchy and destabilisation.
Taking potshots at BJP over the fast, he said, "What kind of fast is this when the Leader of the Opposition is dancing along with her friends at Gandhi's Samadhi.
What is it they are celebrating? Is the celebration for putting forward Anna Hazare on the one hand and Swami on the other as their mask?"
This is the first formal attack by Congress on Anna Hazare since his fast for a stronger Lokpal bill that led to the formation of a joint committee of civil rights activists and government representatives to draft the legislation.
Asked why the party is now attacking Anna Hazare as Congress President Sonia Gandhi had personally written a letter to him, saying she shared his concerns on corruption, Dwivedi said, "Those holding the fast should also see who are sitting beside them."
The civil rights activists led by Hazare decided not to attend today's scheduled meeting of the Joint Committee.
He said no single person can force the government to get his demands fulfilled.
"Law will be enacted in Parliament on the insistence of one or two persons...there is now a concern before the whole society. Anybody calling himself a monk, Satyagrahi or social reformer will stand up, hold a fast and expect that the entire country would accept his demands. What principle of democracy teaches this," Dwivedi said.
Noting that the entire controversy is linked with attempts by certain forces to capture power, the senior Congress leader said similar situations were visible in the 1970s.
Targetting the RSS, he posed a question whether it had launched any agitation or movement except that of spreading rumours.
Dwivedi said that RSS never took part in any such agitation from the forefront and even in the recent incidents it was working from behind.
"Corruption and black money both are blots on the nation. Strict actions should be taken and Goverment is taking the measures but this cannot be done by spreading rumours. BJP says money to the tune Rs 70 lakh crore is stashed in foreign banks while its mask says that it is Rs 4000 crore. From where have these statistics come?" Dwivedi said.
Attacking Ramdev for his remarks against Gandhi, the Congress leader said, "That religious man (Ramdev) says that Sonia Gandhi is the daughter-in-law of this country and hence does not respect the mothers and sisters. Is that the language of a saint? The daughters-in-law of the country should take note of what he is saying."
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