Ramdev agitation may re-energise anti-graft movement: Santosh Hegde

BANGALORE: Former Karnataka Lokayukta N Santosh Hegde, who was closely associated with now disbanded Team Anna, feels yoga guru Ramdev's agitation on black money and graft issues may re-energise the anti-corruption movement and says it might cause electoral damage to the Congress.

"There seems to be a lot of ground support for Ramdev, which must have sort of given a jolt to the ruling party (Congress) as he specifically identified the ruling party as a cause for all this (vis-à-vis lack of action on corruption and black money issue). I think it may re-energise the anti-corruption movement," the former Supreme Court Judge said today.

On whether the movement will cause electoral damage to Congress, Hegde said, "I think so, at least in the northern region. I was told he (Ramdev) has sufficient ground support."

He also saw "political balancing" at play vis-a-vis support to the movement by NDA constituents and unattached parties.

"The fact that our political leaders who are otherwise averse to anti-corruption movement...they have joined together. According to me, that indicates there is some political balancing. Otherwise, they would not have come to the podium and shared the dais with Ramdev," Hegde said.

Noting the support of Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP), Mayawati (BSP) and Nitish Kumar (JD-U) to the movement, he said, "It looks as if Ramdev has a lot of support in that area...Delhi, Rajasthan and Haryana. It was a massive crowd."

Hegde, a key member of Team Anna which was recently disbanded by Anna Hazare, also sought to slam the Congress on the black money issue.

"If the government should go to the extent of keeping the names and account holders' identity (vis-à-vis black-money slashed abroad) a secret, it must be having some very strong reason for that," he said.