VHP’s Ashok Singhal seeks Ramdev’s blessings. Picture by Prem Singh

Haridwar, June 8: Baba Ramdev announced today that he would raise an army of youths trained in shastra (weapons) and shaastra (scriptures) to repel another Ramlila-like eviction, gifting the Centre ammunition on a day Sushma Swaraj met the yoga televangelist and VHP leader Ashok Singhal sought his blessings.

“We will have to train them in shastra and shaastra. We will request Acharya Devbrat to train them. After the fast, they will be fed milk, ghee and almonds to make them strong. Let’s see who wins at the next Ramlila?” Ramdev told the morning yoga session at his ashram in Haridwar.

The yoga practitioner did not give more details on the acharya but added that 20 persons aged below 35 would be chosen from each of the 624 districts in India. The youths — male as well as female — will form part of his army of 11,000 (some may not make it through the training session).

The Centre, which has been smelling a destabilisation game by communal forces, seized on Ramdev’s comment to issue a stern warning.

“By making that statement, he has exposed his true colours and true intentions. Let him do so and the law will deal with that…. You have to observe some discipline,” Union home minister P. Chidambaram said in reply to a question.

“It is anti-national and we have to take action,” said V. Narayansamy, minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office.

Ramdev and a key aide later tried to tone down the statement, saying he meant “self-defence”.

During the day, the fasting yoga televangelist met Opposition leader Sushma, Singhal and Uttarakhand chief minister and BJP leader Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank. None was willing to comment on the call to raise the army.

Many participants in the Ramlila fast, who had “fled” to his ashram after the post-midnight crackdown, have been publicly requesting him since June 6 to arm them to fight “oppressive government forces” they encounter in their struggle to “save democracy”.

Ramdev’s announcement this morning was met with applause, cheers and nationalist slogans by a crowd of less than 250.

Bijoya Mandal, a Baba supporter from Behala who had demanded arms training yesterday, was overjoyed this morning. “Swamiji has given us the right to fight back. Let the police try and touch us now,” she said.

The small yet vocal Bengali corps here was the most jubilant. S. Bhattacharya, a patient from Calcutta at the ashram’s hospital, said: “It was the UPA that started this problem. The movement was peaceful but they baton- charged them. I don’t actively support Baba, but I agree with him.”

A group of sadhus, who were electrified enough by the army plan to chant slogans, found a new target: Sachin Tendulkar. They felt the cricketer is promoting “un-Indian” activities by endorsing the consumption of “non-vegetarian” eggs for the National Egg Co-ordination Committee.

Many of the youth volunteers of the ashram though, speaking off the record, said they support Ramdev’s struggle to bring back black money but would never take up arms against the state.

Later, Ramdev clarified that he was misunderstood. “I am not a Naxalite or a terrorist. This force will only be for self-defence.”

Ramdev aide Swami Swaroopanand added: “The army will specialise in karate, kung fu and Indian martial arts — these are all taught in schools. They won’t hit anyone but will defend our followers from attacks.”

Yesterday, Baba’s aide Balakrishna had said: “People are ready to become bombs to face your guns in this dharmayuddh against black money and corruption.”

Late tonight, Balakrishna said Ramdev had made it clear that the Constitution was “supreme”. “The purpose of setting up such a force is not to harm anybody but only as a right to self-defence,” the aide said. “We don’t want to take the law in our own hands.”

In the afternoon, Sushma and chief minister Nishank met Ramdev for more than an hour.

Sushma told a media conference later she had only come to enquire about his health as the “leader of the Opposition of a nation that is concerned about Baba Ramdev.”

She added: “His health has deteriorated, but his mental strength has increased. He has lost 5.5 kilos.”

Asked if the RSS was involved, Sushma replied: “These accusations are from the same Congress who called Jayprakashji (Jayaprakash Narayan) a CIA man.”