New Delhi: Refuting that his trust has violated any FERA norms, Baba Ramdev on Saturday hit back at the government saying that there was an attempt to malign him.
Firing salvos Baba Ramdev said that there was a “conspiracy” against him in order to stop him from carrying forward his movement against corruption. He added that the same was done to Anna Hazare and his team.
Addressing a press conference in the capital, the yoga guru clarified that he has yet to receive any notice from the Enforcement Directorate.
"The foreign funds we have received for our trusts is as per the norms prescribed under Foreign Currency Regulatory Act and no law has been violated. No government notice has come to me or the institutions run by me," Ramdev said.
He said that the trusts run by him have no direct relation with any company in India and abroad and no law has been violated while exporting the medicines manufactured by these trusts.
Casting doubts on the government's assurances to Anna Hazare on the Lokpal issue which led to the breaking of his 12-day fast at Ramlila Maidan, Ramdev said that the Gandhian had once again been cheated by those in power.
"Tell me one thing, which demand of Anna Hazare has been accepted by the government?... Earlier he was betrayed and now too he has been betrayed," Ramdev quipped.
"Hazare had demanded to bring Prime Minister, judiciary and Members of Parliament in the ambit of Lokpal... Hazare termed the achievement as half victory but I would say this is just the first step towards victory," he said.
Announcing his second round of yatra against black money, Yoga guru Ramdev said he will be starting the same from Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh from September 20.
"We will begin second round of our movement to bring back black money stashed in foreign banks from September 20 in Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh. The Yatra will go to all neighbouring cities and states," he confirmed.
Ramdev’s campaign against corruption and black money at the Ramlila Ground had been brought to an abortive end in June this year.
Expressing sadness over media reports doing rounds pertaining to ED tightening its noose around him, the yoga guru said that he had done a tremendous “service to the nation by protecting the heritage of Ayurveda in all its purity and have been treating people of various ailments for the past twenty years.”
On a dramatic note the yoga guru added, “I work 365 days a year. I have no personal life. I have no bank accounts in my name. I also do not have an inch of land in my name.” He put forth the question, “What is wrong with that?”
Baba Ramdev lamented. “Nationalists are being humiliated in this country. I have not done anything to bring down the name of my country.”
With PTI inputs
The Enforcement Directorate has registered a foreign exchange violation case against Baba Ramdev and his trusts.
The Directorate registered the case on the basis of a report from the RBI and inputs from abroad on "suspicious" financial transactions done by Ramdev's trusts, the official sources said.
The ED had earlier allegedly found foreign remittances and inflow of certain funds during its discreet probe in the case and the action has now been taken under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), the sources said.
In connection with its probe into Ramdev's finances, the ED had approached authorities in the UK seeking financial details about an island in Scotland that was 'gifted' to the Yoga guru by a couple who are among his followers.
The Little Cumbrae Island, off the fishing town of Largs in Scotland, serves as Ramdev's base overseas and also as a wellness centre. The Directorate has asked the authorities in the UK to help it get inputs on funding-related aspects of the island, the sources said.
The ED's probe is aimed at checking the flow of money and transactions through various trusts floated by Ramdev including the Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust, Divya Yoga Mandir Trust and Bharat Swabhiman Trust, they said.
The agency had also approached officials in the island nation of Madagascar
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