BJP to meet President Pratibha Patil on Ramdev

NEW DELHI: BJP today said it will hold peaceful protests across the country against the crackdown on Baba Ramdev's agitation and meet President Pratibha Patil to demand convening of a special session of Parliament to discuss the issue.

The party, whose top leaders inlcuding BJP President Nitin Gadkari are holding a satyagraha at Rajghat, accused the governent of "shielding and protecting" the corrupt.

"We would seek the intervention of the President. We would meet her this evening. L K Advani had yesterday said that the BJP will demand a special session of Parliament to discuss the issue," BJP chief spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad said.

Advani, Gadkari, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley were among a host of leaders who were at the satyagraha site.

Prasad said the Congress should remember that the BJP had fought against the "godmother of India" Indira Gandhi and succeeded.

"One thing that Congress President Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister should remember is that the BJP fought against Indira Gandhi and emerged victorious.

"People of this country had taugth a lesson. They will also teach these people a lesson. The whole country is angry and in an agitating mode. The government has lost all its moral authority and is cracking down on peaceful protests like the one led by Baba Ramdev while giving permission for anti-India rallies and speeches like the one by Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

The BJP had yesterday launched an agitation against the crackdown on Baba Ramdev's supporters and asked the government to bring back black money parked abroad.