New Delhi:
Controversial yoga guru Ramdev, who along with his supporters faced police crackdown during their agitation at Ramlila Maidan on June 4, wrote to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Monday, asking him to exercise "self restraint" and ensure that similar action was not taken against Anna Hazare and his team.
As confrontation between the Mr Hazare and government escalated after police denied permission to the gandhian for holding a fast from Tuesday to press for a strong Lokpal Bill, Mr Ramdev, in his letter, said such protests should not be "crushed" through unconstitutional and undemocratic means.
"We would expect that you will exercise self-restraint and not allow a repeat of what happened against us on the midnight of June 4 at the Ramlila maidan," the yoga guru said.
Delhi Police's refusal of permission to Team Anna for a location to conduct the coincided with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's strong remarks in his Independence Day speech that hunger strikes and fasts-unto-death do not help address the problem of corruption and Parliament is the only body to form legislations to curb the menace.
Mr Ramdev in his letter to the PM reiterated his demand for bringing back the black money stashed abroad under UN convention against corruption and declaring it as national asset.