Baba Ramdev supports BJP's populist policies in Goa

PANAJI: Ahead of the next year's assembly elections, BJP in Goa has got popular yoga guru Baba Ramdev support some of its populist policies. The Opposition party on Friday laid a bill in the ongoing state budget session, seeking a ban on entry of Indians into Goa's casinos mainly off-shore vessels.

With state elections slated to be held early next year, the party has been vehemently trying to touch an emotional chord with the local Goans, many of whom have expressed their dislike for casinos.

Echoing the same sentiment popular yoga guru Baba Ramdev said, "Only those with a passport must be allowed entry into casinos. We are giving our good like iron ore to foreigners and bringing their bad to our country."

He also called for a 'swadeshi' movement, asking people to stop buying foreign products; instead to procure more domestic consumables, "there should be more export and less import. Our people must be employed to manufacture export goods, but in India we must promote and buy only local products," he said while adding, "even our cricketers like Sachin and Dhoni must stop endorsing colas".

The self-taught guru, who claims to have a cure for any ailment from common cold to cancer, was in Goa to hold a rally as part of his nationwide movement against corruption. His rally is being organised by Bharat Swabhiman Trust (BST).

While making it clear that he will be participating in the next Lok Sabha elections, Baba Ramdev says his aim is to bring in corruption-free people. "The person must be clean and honest. It can be from any political party - my own or any other," he says while refraining from responding to queries of a possible alliance with the BJP.

Even as a debate is rife in Goa to introduce English as the language of education in primary school, BJP has expressed support to have Konkani or Marathi as medium of instruction. Baba Ramdev too believes Marathi and Konkani should be the medium of education in primary schools. "Every country like Russia and China teaches students in their local language. The doctors there do not speak in English, then why do we need to behave like Americans or the British?" he asked.

Last week more than 15,000 parents had gathered in capital Panaji seeking inclusion of English in primary level education in government schools. The Right to Education (RTE) Act, which envisions the child's mother tongue-in Goa's case Konkani-as the medium of instruction, is scheduled to be ratified in the state legislative assembly soon. At present, schools having English as the medium of education do got receive government grants.