The Godman finally lands in dark alleys of prison
There is a section of people in this nation that can get away with any crime, be it rape, cheating or even murder. These people are the ‘agents’ of god. They wear saffron, and speak ever so enticingly about God and spirituality. They are smooth operators too. They are ‘well connected’ and those connections protect them from being penalized for any crime they’d do. They make property worth thousands of crores and lead a life that may put the richest of the rich to shame. Though they speak about ‘letting go’ and ‘denouncing’ the worldly pleasure, their lifestyle is beyond that of people with worldly needs and greed.
There are lakhs of such Sanyasis in our country. Self proclaimed godman Asaram Bapu is one such ‘spiritual guru’ who led a life of luxury. This man is a pervert sexual perpetrator. He allegedly faces charges of having raped children and killed them too. He was saved so far by his political connections since he was close to the Sangh Parivar. But the SC/ST Court in Jodhpur handed him life sentence in a crime involving the rape of 16 year old girl in 2013, in his Rajasthan Ashram. He was arrested following the complaint lodged by the victim. After hearing the case for the last four years, the court finally decided he is guilty of the crime and pronounced the sentence.
Asaram Bapu who is in the close circles of Sangh, also enjoys close proximity to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who visited his Ashram many a times. Modi had prostrated many a times before him, proclaiming Asaram is his ‘guru’. When he was the Chief Minister of Gujrat, Modi had also provided good insulation to Asaram against serious misappropriations such as land grabbing and other scandals.
But today, Modi has to beg for forgiveness before the nation for having supported a criminal such as Asaram. This godman would advise all his disciples and followers saying the physical world is a ‘maya’ (illusion) and that one has remain detached from all this. But, funnily enough, he had amassed wealth worth thousands of crores and was leading the most luxurious life. The rooms in his Ashram resembled that of five star hotels. He would engage in illegal activities with girls in those places. And he would rape those who didn’t accept his invitation. There are lakhs of people who adore and worship him. He also had a line of ayurvedic products and luxury items. Shops that sell his merchandise are spread all over the country. And lakhs of disciples are present among foreigners too.
There were rumours that people were getting murdered in his Ashram. But since he was connected to the most powerful people, no officer would dare launch an investigation based on those complaints. His reach is not just to PM Modi, but he was close to Advani and Vajapayee too. A lot of efforts were being made at very high level to protect him and as a result of that, he had remained safe. Even at the stage of inquiry, three out of nine witnesses against murder cases were found dead under mysterious circumstances. Others had suffered various assaults and dangerous attacks on their lives. With all this, Jodhpur court has conducted a detailed enquiry and declared him guilty.
Asaram Bapu would often torture young girls and subject them to pervert sex. After many complaints, he was arrested. A similar case can be recalled in Haryana when Gurmit Singh was arrested and all hell had broken loose around that time. The BJP government in that state had been unsuccessful in controlling the violence and finally army had to be summoned. This was anticipated in Asaram case too and hence tight security was provided before the judgment was pronounced. 77 years old Asaram Bapu is guilty of having violated POCSO, Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. All the 12 bail applications stood rejected. Many attempts were made behind the scenes to set him free, but those didn’t pay off.
Asaram has his roots in Pakistan. He was involved in alcohol trade. The he got into the spiritual business. Dressed in white, he gave lectures on spirituality in early 1970s. Then he built a small hut on the banks of Sabarmati in 1972. Gradually his clout increased.
Dead bodies of two children were found in his Motera ashram in 2008. Post mortem reports said the vital organs were missing from the bodies. This led to increased suspicion on Asaram. Later his name figured in land grabbers’ list. Two sisters had lodged cases against Asaram and his son Narayana Sai of sexually assaulting them. With all this, Asaram had managed to increase his activities and amassed wealth nearly to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore. He has about 400 ashrams in the country. A big printing press runs under his ownership. His business is spread worldwide.
But today, this ‘high and mighty’ Asaram stands challenged by the court which pronounced him guilty. His disciples were praying for him while the court took a bold step. The govermment must act fast and take his property into possession and create rehabilitation facilities for those who have suffered. There are many such accusations on Baba Ramdev too. Then there are scores of Asarams in Karnataka who have to be probed seriously. Including the one near Bidadi on the outskirts of Bangalore. A head of a mutt near Sagar is facing charges of repeated sexual assault by one of his disciples. Though he managed to stay out of the jail using his clout, his followers have not yet declared him clean.
Threats were issued to the government and even to the home minister for ordering a probe into the matter of this head of the institution. There are scores of godmen who have had least care for the legal, judiciary system and government. They must be identified, enquired thoroughly and penalized for their crimes.
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Modi govt's 'calibrated erosion' of EC's integrity: Kharge on election rule
New Delhi (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday hit out at the government for tweaking an election rule to prevent public inspection of certain electronic documents, alleging it is part of the Modi government's "systematic conspiracy" to destroy the institutional integrity of the Election Commission.
Kharge also said the Modi government's "calibrated erosion" of the ECI's integrity is a frontal attack on the Constitution and democracy.
The government has tweaked an election rule to prevent public inspection of certain electronic documents such as CCTV camera and webcasting footage as well as video recordings of candidates to prevent their misuse.
Based on the recommendation of the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Union law ministry on Friday amended Rule 93(2)(a) of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, to restrict the type of "papers" or documents open to public inspection.
Reacting to the development, Kharge said, "Modi government's audacious amendment in the Conduct of Election Rules is another assault in its systematic conspiracy to destroy the institutional integrity of the Election Commission of India." "Earlier, they had removed the Chief Justice of India from the Selection panel which appoints Election Commissioners, and now they have resorted to stonewall electoral information, even after a High Court order," he said in a post on X.
Everytime the Congress party wrote to the ECI, regarding specific poll irregularities such as voter deletions and lack of transparency in EVMs, the ECI has responded in a condescending tone and chosen not to even acknowledge certain serious complaints, Kharge said.
"This again proves that the ECI, even though it is a quasi-judicial body, is not behaving independently," he said.
"The Modi government's calibrated erosion of ECI's integrity is a frontal attack on the Constitution and Democracy and we will take every step to safeguard them," Kharge said.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh had said the party would legally challenge the amendment.
Lok Sabha MP and Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said the poll panel had chosen opacity and a pro-government attitude in its dealings thus far.
According to Rule 93, all "papers" related to elections shall be open to public inspection.
The amendment inserts "as specified in these rules" after "papers".
Law ministry and ECI officials separately explained that a court case was the "trigger" behind the amendment.
While documents such as nomination forms, appointment of election agents, results and election account statements are mentioned in the Conduct of Election Rules, electronic documents such as CCTV camera footage, webcasting footage and video recording of candidates during the Model Code of Conduct period are not covered.
"CCTV coverage, webcasting of polling stations are not carried out under Conduct of Election Rules but are the result of steps taken by the ECI to ensure a level playing field," a former ECI official explained.
