No communal element would be on dais of Baba Ramdev fast: Arvind Kejriwal

NEW DELHI: Anna Hazare-led civil society supporters today said Baba Ramdev has assured them that no "communal" element would share the dais with him during his proposed anti-corruption fast.

Asked whether Hazare and civil society activists would be willing to take part in the fast if RSS activists were involved in the campaign, Hazare's associate Arvind Kejriwal said they had discussed the issue with Ramdev who had made it clear to them that his was a "completely independent movement".

"We have spoken to him (Ramdev) and he said there will be no one. Ramdev said no one (from RSS) will be there. He said that no party or no communal element is involved in the movement. He assured that no such element would be on the dais", according to Kejriwal.

"We talked about it. We talked on this issue and he told us that no communal element is involved in the movement," Kejriwal said in response to repeated questions on media reports that RSS swayamsevaks were set to support Ramdev's anti-corruption movement.

Hazare, whose hunger strike for strong Lokpal had rattled the government in April, yesterday lent support to Ramdev's campaign and told the yoga guru that he should not be swayed by the overtures made by the government.