Baba gives UPA a sleepless summer

The night-long operation that evicted Baba Ramdev from the city this morning was meant to signal the UPA’s tough resolve. But coming after days of unprecedented surrender by the UPA — which even announced its commitment to a new law hours before it sent the police in — it opened the Government to criticism from across the political spectrum.

And prompted soul-searching

within the party over the way ahead. For the record, though, the Congress referred to Baba as the “nothing (man),” who had been propped up by “(communal) forces” out to destabilise the government (read the BJP and the Sangh Parivar). This brave face did little to hide the unease within as the party braced for a fresh political crisis.

At a meeting of AICC office-bearers and senior ministers called by party president Sonia Gandhi this evening, the government, particularly Union Minister Kapil Sibal, did come under fire from some leaders for what they saw as “mishandling” of Baba Ramdev’s fast.