AHMEDABAD, July 29: Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Sunday announced that he would begin a decisive fight against graft next month for the retrieval of illicit funds stashed in bank accounts abroad.

Speaking here on the occasion of a sermon by Jain ascetic Tarun Sagar, Baba Ramdev said the movement would reach its crescendo by Independence Day.

“Now, we have to bring back 400 trillion rupees’ worth of black money, eradicate corruption, save democracy and the country. The happiness I see on your faces today has to be brought on the faces of our 1.2 billion people. This struggle shall begin in Delhi on August 9, and will reach its climax by August 15,” Baba Ramdev said.

Also present on the occasion was Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who said that it was unfortunate that the motives of people like Baba Ramdev were questioned when they tried to initiate social movements in the interest of the nation.

“Today, if ascetics are grieved by the pains of society, and if they talk on social issues, if they try to raise public awareness by taking the nation’s benefit as a duty unto themselves, then the misfortune of my country is that those who criticized hermits for being detached from the society, now curse them for being involved with it,” Modi said.

Baba Ramdev is poised for a joint movement along with anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare against corruption, which they are scheduled to start from August 9 onwards. In June 2011, Baba Ramdev, with 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 a phalanx of police with batons and tear gas to break up their peaceful protest. (Agencies)