Acharya Balkrishna, Baba Ramdev’s main aide, denied the innuendoes by Congress senior leader Digvijay Singh that he had run away.
In an emotional media conference, during which he broke down many times, he said he was on the spot helping every one on the spot and did not go anywhere.
“I did not run away.. I was not having fun somewhere else.. I am proud that I served my duty towards my motherland,” he said.
Balkrishna was absent from Baba’s press conferences over the last three days, raising rumors that he was in hiding. “They are saying Baba fleed.. They are saying so because they wanted to finish off Baba, now they want to say he fleed..”
“I wanted to dispel the illusion that is being created around me,” he said, referring to statements by Congress leaders Digvijay Singh and others calling him a fugitive, a fraud etc..
On Digvijay Singh, he said: “People who are jobless, who have been rejected by people many times.. their accusations do not merit a response.”
Digvijay Singh, general secretary of Congress party, had said that the Acharya was a criminal on the run from Nepal and had obtained an Indian passport illegally.
Acharya said he was born in India, his parents are from Nepal. He pointed out that under Indo-Nepalese treaty, any Nepalese born in India was an Indian citizen. “I was born in Haridwar.. I have worked my entire life here. I will die here. I am not running away from here,” he said.
He explained how he finally managed to make his way out of the camp site, but was tempted to stay back again and again.
He said he was involved in trucking the people off from the venue.
“After witnessing the scenes, I said Swamiji that you must go, they may even finish you if you stay here.. . I remained behind till all the people had left.
“I saw people suffering on the way.. I wanted to stop and help them, relieve them. But I didn’t, because I knew what would be left of me if I did.. I was running helter-skelter with this thought.. But I was proud, my head was held up high because I saw that the Motherland has got many who are willing to give up their lives for her.”
He said his clothes were torn off by the policemen and had to use a towel to cover himself. He said he was on the roads for many hours, suffering from the cane blows he got.
He said he had cane injuries on his head and feet and said his voice had become feeble because of his injuries.
Acharya Balkrishna was addressing the media from Baba’s ashram in Haridwar.
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