India’s Opposition BJP demands special parliament session on corruption

As the unceremonious ouster of Baba Ramdev from the city of Delhi unites various opposition parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party met with President Pratibha Patil to demand a special session of parliament.  The purpose: "to discuss issues like corruption, black money stashed away in foreign banks and the manhandling of peaceful protesters, including women and elderly persons, who gathered to protest against such issues (at Ramlila Ground)," senior BJP leader L.K. Advani told reporters outside the president's residence, according to the Times of India.

BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad blamed the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for the police crackdown, saying: "We will expose this government as it is not at all keen to take any meaningful and effective action against the menace of corruption, black money and fruits of crime and corruption lying abroad."

Now that he donned a disguise to try to slip the police net, we've all seen Ramdev in women's clothes but it remains to be determined whether his protest movement has legs.  Baba is reportedly still fasting at his Haridwar headquarters (reminds me of my mother saying, "Put that back… You can fast at home!")  So will he be able to stay at the forefront of the agitation now that he has everybody's professed support, but all the professional politicians are trying to hijack the movement?  

Stay tuned.  Meanwhile, have a look at the always hilarious Manu Joseph's all-too accurate assessment of what he calls "the Baba Ramdev Show."