Though it was not to be, but the Ramdev saga could have been an entirely different story had the UPA leadership followed its earlier plan of sending human resource development minister Kapil Sibal and parliamentary affairs minister Pawan Bansal to Ujjain to talk to the Yoga guru instead of engaging him here in the capital. No one, unfortunately, has the benefit of hindsight and the unfolding story on the growing public campaign against corruption continues to trouble the UPA government as Anna Hazare sits on a day long fast at the Rajghat.
In its meeting on May 31, the cabinet committee on political affairs, it now transpires, had decided to engage Baba Ramdev in talks and agreed that two ministers be sent to Ujjain to persuade him to break off his proposed fast on June 4. In the event that he refused, the plan was to bar him from entering Delhi. A day later though, the government chickened out, laying out the red carpet for Ramdev as a four member ministerial group led by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee waited for him at the Delhi airport.
It was this shocking bending-over-backwards gesture that came to be sharply criticised within the party as well as the government. The switch to a tough line five days later?by way of midnight police action on Saturday to evict Baba Ramdev from the Ramlila Maidan?did neutralise critics within the ruling coalition but exposed the party to attacks from the opposition and civil society in general.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi made her distress known at a meeting of top leaders at her residence on Sunday evening, signalling the mismatch between government and party on the issue. Kapil Sibal, among the key firefighters, has had to face the brunt of the criticism though he contends that he was only following instructions from seniors. He has also washed his hands off from the midnight police action.
The UPA leadership is now trying its best to control the damage in the way it thinks is the best way. By going on the offensive against the Opposition and trying to discredit both Baba Ramdev as well as Anna Hazare, dubbing them as mukhotas (masks) of the Sangha Parivar. The income tax department and other government agencies are already looking into the business activities of the Yoga guru, including dealings of the Pantanjali Yogpeeth trust that he runs and the dubious background of his aide Acharya Balkrishan. The engagement with Team Anna is on the verge of breakdown as the trust deficit widens between the two.
Its will to fight corruption still under test as it continues to face flak on scandals with fresh allegations against textiles minister Dayanidhi Maran, the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government may find it hard to prove itself on that count despite its assurance that the Lokpal Bill will be a reality soon, come what may.
swaraj.thapa@expressindia.com