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Even as Baba Ramdev commenced his three-day fast over a demand to bring back black money stashed abroad and to fight corruption, his supporters queued up for their meals at the Ram Lila Maidan (Ground) here on Thursday. It seemed that the supporters were taken by surprise when Baba Ramdev announced that he and his followers would go on a fast in their bid to have a stronger Lokpal Bill enacted, apart from bringing back black money stashed abroad and to relieve the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of government control. Ignoring his call, Baba Ramdev’s followers gorged on puris, vegetables and halwa. "Everybody can't be on fast, but everybody should support it," said Prashant Das, a Baba Ramdev follower. "If somebody has agreed to join the hunger strike, then it is wrong if he is eating," added Narewal Jat, another follower. Earlier, the yoga teacher said that he would declare his future course of action if the government failed to act on his demands. "This is the last chance we are giving to the government. We will fast for the next three days here at the Ramlila Maidan (a protest venue), " said Baba Ramdev. In June 2011, Ramdev and thousands of his followers had gone on a mass hunger strike in New Delhi to demand reforms, including death penalty for corrupt officials. Dozens were injured when the government sent in police to break up their peaceful protest. His campaign was an embarrassment for the Congress party-led coalition hit by graft scandals including allegations of kickbacks at the Commonwealth Games and a telecom scam that may have cost the government up to 39 billion dollars in revenues. A series of high-profile scandals has eroded trust and stymied policy making in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's administration in recent months.

Ramdev begins three-day fast