Ramdev’s new comments on Modi show that all is not well between Patanjali founder and BJP

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Patanjali founder and controversial godman Ramdev has said that he was not sure who the next prime minister of India will be as the political situation in the country was ‘very difficult.’

File Photo: Reuters

“Now the political situation is very difficult. We cannot say who will [be] the next prime minister or who will lead the country, but situation is very interesting…” Ramdev told news agency ANI in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai.

His comments came just days after the BJP suffered defeats in three states, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Ramdev’s comments assume significance in light of his all out support for the BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. This has not prompted many conclude that all was not well between the controversial godman and the saffron party.

His comments have become a topic of intense social media conversations.

In September, Ramdev had told a news channel that the anger against the rising prices could cost Prime Minister Narendra Modi dearly in the elections next year. He had told NDTV, “If the government lets me, and gives some relief in tax, I can give petrol diesel to India at Rs. 35-40 per litre. Fuel needs to brought under GST and not the 28 per cent rate.”

While campaigning for the BJP in the 2014 elections, Ramdev had promised that the prices of petrol and diesel will come down to Rs 35-40 if Modi became the prime minister. The prices of petrol reached reached Rs 90, all time high.

Ramdev recently said that he had indeed withdrawn himself from active politics and the observation that he was not asking for the change of the current government was correct.  He had aid, “I have withdrawn myself politically. I am with all parties and I am with no parties.”

Many feel that Ramdev is not happy with the Modi government after the demonetisation announcement and the GST rollout adversely affected the growth of Patanjali. Last month it was revealed that the introduction of GST has had a crippling effect on Patanjali sales for the first time in five years.

The key reason the causing the Patanjali sales to go down for the first time in three years is the GST, which left the distribution network of the homegrown consumer goods maker broken.

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