BSP candidate announces Rs 1 crore bounty on Ramdev

JALANDHAR: BSP candidate from Hoshiarpur Bhagwan Singh Chohan announced a bounty of Rs 1 crore on Baba Ramdev's head for his comment on Rahul Gandhi's "picnic and honeymoon" in dalit homes late on Sunday. A case was also registered against the yoga teacher for hurting religious sentiments on complaint by Sikh activists for disrespecting a photograph of Guru Gobind Singh.

In the picture, Ramdev is seen on a sofa with a photograph of the 10th Guru placed below the yoga teacher.

BSP workers burnt Ramdev's effigy near Hoshiarpur bus-stand where Chohan said he would give Rs 1 crore to anybody who brings to him the yoga guru's severed head, saying Ramdev has insulted the women of the entire country with his comment.

On Monday, Chohan said he stood by his statement and claimed the BSP supremo, Mayawati, had already demanded that Ramdev be hanged for his offensive remarks against Dalit women. He said his announcement wasn't out of party line.

Nonetheless, Hoshiarpur deputy commissioner Tanu Kashyap wrote to the district SSP to take note of the BSP candidate's announcement and take apt action.

Meanwhile, Sikh organizations took out a protest march against Ramdev provoked by a picture in which Ramdev is seen sitting on a sofa with the 10th Sikh guru's picture placed below him. Activists burnt Ramdev's effigy near Company Bagh Chowk and demanded registration of a case against him. Following the protest, the police registered a case for "maliciously hurting religious sentiments" against Ramdev on a complaint submitted by one Harpreet Singh.

Protestors said the picture was of a yoga camp organized at Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda and it was a case of deliberately display of disrespect to the guru, which hurt their sentiments.