Ramdev says no to Haryana govt’s Cabinet rank offer

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 21

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev today refused the Cabinet status announced for him by the Haryana government earlier this month.

Ramdev made the announcement at a function organised by the Haryana government at Rai in Sonepat, about 60 km from Delhi, to honour him.

In his address to the gathering, in which Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, his ministers Ram Bilas Sharma, Anil Vij, Kavita Jain among others were present, he said: “I'm a sanyaasi, service to humanity is my only objective. I'm not looking for any ministerial position or status.”

"For your decision to bestow me with this honour, I thank you (Haryana govt) profusely, but I want to humbly state that I want to serve you by remaining a 'baba' and a 'fakir. What you have given, I want to thank you for that but very respectfully I want to hand it back to you," said Ramdev.

He said: "After polls they said baba has so many ministers...what is more important than how many ministers, MPs, MLAs how many CMs baba has, is the fact that Narendra Modi, he too is baba's PM, he is country's PM, therefore he is our PM."     

Ramdev said that he had worked selflessly to realise the mission of making Modi as the country's Prime Minister by treating it as "rashtra dharma".

"Now, that PM is ours, entire Cabinet is ours, Haryana CM is ours and his Cabinet is ours, so let baba remain a baba...I want to serve you like this only (by remaining a baba).

He, will, however, continue to be state's brand ambassador to promote Yoga and Ayurveda.

The Haryana government had a few days back announced to give “status equivalent to Cabinet Minister” to Ramdev, who has also been appointed as the state’s brand ambassador to promote yoga and ayurveda in the state.

Notably, last month, Haryana Assembly had witnessed uproarious scenes as the BJP government came under sharp attack from opposition Congress for allegedly “going out of way to please Ramdev by making him the brand ambassador” for promotion of yoga and ayurveda in the state.

With PTI inputs