Centre geared up to cancel the charitable status of Ramdev’s trust

New Delhi: The Income Tax department is all geared up to cancel the charitable status of Ramdev’s trust Patanjali Yogpeeth. The department has claimed that Ramdev’s trust earns an income of over Rs 72 crore, while they had declared that they had zero income.

Reacting on the I-T department‘s claims, Ramdev’s adviser Ved Pratap Vaidik has been quoted as saying, “Ramdev has no personal interest and they are saying he is making business. What health department of India hasn’t done in years, they are calling this commercial activity? He is making medicines and giving good health to people. This is certainly politically motivated. How is that they were silent earlier? The same politicians used to visit him for yoga. Is it crime to do business in this country?”

Ramdev was cornered earlier when his close aide Acharya Balkrishna was arrested in the fake passport case and was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). He was accused of producing fake documents in order to attain a passport. He used the same to open trusts in the UK and US.

The ED is also probing whether Balkrishna is a foreigner. If that can be proved then Balkrishna’s directorship in 34 of Ramdev’s companies can be cancelled and the penalty the companies will pay will run into crores.

Ramdev’s trusts had come under renewed scrutiny after he started a campaign against the government.

Removing the charity tag from Patanjali is aimed to hit the Baba where it hurts the most and the government’s all out offensive against the yoga guru is confined not just to his trusts but extends to his companies and even his colleagues. And while Ramdev’s stand is this is a witch hunt, the fact is that this information has been with the government for some time now. It’s only the timing that is now a suspect.