Noida:
Team Anna activists today invited yoga guru Baba Ramdev for their protest in July and offered to participate in his August agitation, dispelling reports that there are any differences between them.
The decision was taken at the day-long Team Anna core committee meeting in Noida which was attended by Anna Hazare, Justice Santosh Hegde, Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Kiran Bedi among others.
Announcing the decision after the day-long meeting, Mr Hazare told reporters that a decision was unanimously taken to invite Baba Ramdev for the proposed protest from July 25 announced by Team Anna.
"We have also decided to participate in the agitation called by (Baba) Ramdev from August 9. We will participate in each other's programme," Mr Hazare said.
On his part, Baba Ramdev also said that "there are no differences" and participated in a TV show along with Anna Hazare.
Speculations of a division between Team Anna and Baba Ramdev emerged yesterday when Arvind Kejriwal left the venue of their joint agitation in New Delhi yesterday after the yoga guru objected to stinging personal attacks in Mr Kejriwal's speech. But Baba Ramdev and Team Anna member Kiran Bedi both emphatically denied any sort of rift over the issue. The yoga guru said on stage that Mr Kejriwal had told Anna and him that he was unwell and therefore needed to leave the venue. "There was one rumour that Arvind Kejriwal left the venue leaving us behind. Kejriwal was unwell, he had informed us," Baba Ramdev said. Mr Kejriwal too tweeted, "Left the fast venue as I'm unwell, didn't leave in protest."
However, Mr Kejriwal said, it was decided in the meeting that Mr Hazare will not sit on fast from July 25 due to health reasons but his "young team" will. The 74-year-old activist will be present in Delhi during the indefinite protest against UPA government.
Mr Hazare said that the Team Anna members would tour the country from Tuesday to tell people about the allegations they have raised against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and 14 Union Ministers.
Asked about Baba Ramdev's snub to Mr Kejriwal for taking names of Prime Ministers and other ministers, Mr Hazare said that different people have different opinions.
Earlier in the day, Mr Kejriwal contradicted the yoga guru's claims that a protocol was set not to take names of politicians or make personal attacks during speeches at the fast venue.