Yoga guru Baba Ramdev lost his cool and threatened a journalist when asked to comment on his past comment on fuel price hike.
Speaking at an event in Karnal (Haryana), Ramdev told media persons that people should work harder in such difficult times to overcome the challenges posed by fuel hike. “The government argues that it cannot lower taxes on fuel because it has to run the country. How will the government then pay salaries or build roads? I agree inflation should go down, but people should be ready to work harder. Even I work very hard…I wake up at 4 in the morning and work till 10 at night,” Ramdev said amid rousing applause from his supporters.
When a journalist asked to comment on his earlier statement that people should seek a government that can give them petrol for ₹ 40 a litre and cooking gas at ₹ 300 a cylinder, the yoga guru was at a loss of words. He then lost his cool and threatened the journalist. “Yes, I said it. What can you do? Don’t keep asking such questions. Am I your thekedar (contractor) who has to keep answering your questions?”
When the journalist persisted with his query, Ramdev said, “Ab kya kar lega (what will you do)? Just shut up. If you ask again, it is not good. Don’t speak like this, you must be the son of decent parents.”
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On Wednesday, fuel prices were hiked for the eighth time in nine days. In Delhi, petrol and diesel are being sold at ₹101.01 per litre and ₹92.27 per litre respectively. In Mumbai, diesel is being sold at ₹100.10 a litre and petrol at ₹115.88 per litre.
In Kolkata, petrol price is ₹110.52 per litre and diesel at ₹95.42. In Chennai, the prices of petrol and diesel are at ₹106.69 per litre and ₹96.76 per litre respectively.
The opposition led by Congress has taken to streets in protest against the steep hike in fuel prices. Demonstrations were held at Vijay Chowk near Parliament to declare a nationwide agitation against the rise in prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas. The Congress wants the Centre to rollback the hike.