Master charlatan Baba Ramdev, FTI's idiotic founder Sanjeev Sabhlok

FTI's sham of an 'exoneration' of Baba Ramdev

Freedom Team India (FTI) has been falling over itself in the race to cover its tracks in the incredible saga of the about-turn of its dictator, Sanjeev Sabhlok (SS) falling into the swoon, embrace and bed-fellowship of master charlatan, Baba Ramdev.

It appears that till sometime in 2011, Sanjeev Sabhlok was a very strong and virulent critic of Baba Ramdev and the culmination of his total switch to joining the band-wagon of 'Bharat Swabhiman' movement in the speeches he delivered at Patanjali Yogapeeth is causing many red faces within its own ranks 

One the comments below from their own blog posts says it all

abhishek says:

January 13, 2013 at 4:23 am

Sanjeev Sabhlok you had been a staunch critic of Swami Ramdev, now sharing stage with him; what a great u-turn ?

Here's Sanjeev Sabhlok's feeble defense and saccharine praise of the 'Baba'

"I've never come across a person as brilliant, physically fit, and humble (and willing to learn) as Swami Ramdev. A level 5 leader, he has left a deep mark on me, and forced me to consider the many benefits of the original system of education in India."

Really!!! Baba Ramdev and humble and humility???!!!!.

It is hard to say who Sanjeev Sabhlok is trying to fool here. It would have to be himself and his motley crowd of FTI slaves and footmen (there are thankfully hardly any women in the FTI group). 

I don't know what Sanjeev Sabhlok means by Level 5 leader. If this is some leadership jargon, Sanjeev Sabhlok did not care to explain. And what is the original system of education in India?

 Again though there are no answers from the FTI 'commander-in-chief', one can only infer that he must be alluding to the Gurukul system of teaching/learning. But the moot point to consider is whether Baba Ramdev is really a  product of Gurukul system of education. And also whether such a system formally exists in post-British India. Is Ramdev anymore a product of 'Gurukooling' (the ancient Indian school where students drink the Guru-worship Kool-Aid), than Sri Sri or Chinmayananda are!!.

To infer and assume the excellence of Indian ancient/Gurukul systems from the tainted success of Ramdev is indeed a very huge leap of faith, presumption and credulity that only the likes of Sanjeev Sabhlok and FTI hangers-on can make.

Let me now quote the red-faced and embarrassing retraction of Sanjeev Sabhlok about his hostility to Ramdev and even to Anna Hazare

"Given that my previous views were formed on the basis of press reports, I've made private (i.e. invisible to the world) a few of my blog posts, particularly those in which I have raised questions similar to what Anna Hazare has raised today. (Today Anna Hazare has suggested that Ramdev is associated with communal organisations.) I wish I had time to review those posts individually, but at this stage I've just made them private."

"As I get to know Baba Ramdev better personally, I'm able to assure Anna with confidence that Ramdev is not communal. That matter can, I believe, be firmly put to rest."
 
Lo and Behold! Baba Ramdev is no longer a communal instigator and Anna Hazare, no longer the failed Gandhian wannabe and two of the most arch foes of the Don Quixote of FTI, are now his dearest bed-fellows!!!.

Sancho Panza's of the FTI! (there are a few hundreds of them) save yourselves more embarrassment and disgrace that is sure to follow!!

As I referred in my earlier post on this topic, Sanjeev Sabhlok has made himself the self-appointed arbiter of Baba Ramdev's character, past  and actions

Here is the pompous 'judicial' pronouncement of the 'Chief Justice' of  the FTI kangaroo court, Shri. Sanjeev Sabhlok on Ramdev's bona fides:

"Swami Ramdev is merely spreading the best that is found in Indian systems. There is TOTAL integrity in his systems."

"I've satisfied myself entirely that Swami Ramdev is totally above board. There is no issue of "killing" any guru. That is a ridiculous charge that has been refuted completely and repeatedly. Please conduct your own research on this issue. Don't believe in me."

Notice that Baba has now been transformed into a Swami by the wave of the Sanjeev Sabhlok magic wand  of verbal jugglery.

How Sanjeev Sabhlok has satisfied himself entirely that Swami Ramdev is totally above board is not specified anywhere by him.

And raising  Swami/Baba Ramdev 'above the board' is not an easy task, for the charges and accusations against this person are many, varied and grave and not to be dismissed by a wave of a hand or casual remark as Sanjeev Sabhlok has tried to do.

These are:

1. Baba Ramdev is involved in tax evasion.
2. Baba Ramdev exports products that are banned in the United States.
3. Donations received by Baba Ramdev consist of black money and are not accounted for properly.
4. His aide and right-hand man 'Acharya' Balkrishna has fake passport papers.
5. Acharya Balkrishna is a Nepali criminal who fled from Nepal to India.
6. Acharya Balkrishna has violated the Arms Act, 1959.
7. Ramdev and his non-profit firms are alleged to involve in activities prohibited for non-profit tax-exempt organisations in USA.^[66] 
8. Labour law violations and animal parts in medicines 
9.  False claims on curing Cancer and AIDS though Yoga and Ayurveda

The following civil/criminal cases have been filed/under process against him/his aides:

• The Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered a foreign exchange violation case against Baba Ramdev and his trust. The Directorate has found evidence of Ramdev and his trusts receiving financial aid from the USA, Britain and New Zealand. Ramdev and his trust reportedly received Rs 7 crore from Britain. The ED has formally registered a case under the provisions of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). Investigations by the ED have found foreign remittances and inflow of funds to Ramdev and his various trusts including the Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust and Divya Yoga Mandir Trust. 
•   The Central Bureau of Investigation has  registered two cases against Yoga guru Ramdev's close aide Balkrishna for allegedly using a fake degree for getting a passport.While one case has been registered under Section 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code for procuring the fake degree, the other was for violation of Section 12 of the Indian Passport Act (knowingly furnishing false documents), CBI officials said. 
•  The Government has slapped a notice of Rs. 5 crore demand on trusts run by yoga guru Baba Ramdev in connection with alleged service tax evasion while organising yoga camps.Claiming that shivirs (camps) undertaken by Patanjali Yoga Peeth and Divya Yoga Trust in Haridwar were commercial activity, the Revenue department has raised a demand of Rs. 5.14 crore payable on fees collected from individuals for learning Yoga, officials said."The Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence has sent notices for alleged service tax evasion to the tune of Rs. 5.14 crore late last month. The demands have been raised for its assessment for period between 2007-08 and 2011-12," a Finance Ministry official said.

There could surely be some political vendetta and witch-hunting behind some of this, all of which may not stick to Ramdev, but the instances of misconduct relating to Baba Ramdev are too numerous to just dismissed or brushed off easily.

Beyond all that, is the charge of quackery and defrauding of public by dubious claims of  efficacy of yoga routines and peddling of ayurvedic products of questionable quality, potency and efficacy. 

Posted 13th January by Ranganath R