Legal options closing, Asaram Bapu tries charm on believers
With the long arm of the law around him and unwilling to relax, self-styled godman Asaram Bapu wants an appeal in what he calls the highest court: the court of the people.
On his official website, in a new section titled 'False allegations on Pujya Bapuji', new banners have appeared reading 'Public outrage after conspiracy against Bapuji'. There are videos titled 'psychological reasons about (sic) conspiracy', 'why Bapuji is targeted' while one video icon has a picture on Asaram and is titled 'Mahapurushon ki karuna'. Another icon titled 'world wide (sic) protests coverage' has tens of pictures of protests purportedly from across the globe.
That's not all. His followers, who can very well be mercenaries, are spotted in trains and buses in sundry cities distributing pamphlets about the media trial of the godman and his total innocence. This writer was witness to one such group of women being hounded out by angry passengers aboard the Lucknow-New Delhi Shatabdi a couple of weeks ago. Besides, Surat police has also come across pamphlets printed in Hindi claiming that the rape complaints are part of conspiracy against Asaram and his son Narayan Sai. The pamphlet blames political parties, police and media for running the campaign. Police are now looking for the source of the pamphlets.
But the godman, who still wears an adorned crown in thousands of posters, put up all over the religious and non-religious cities across India is not the hate guy all of a sudden. All this began with his controversial statement on the Delhi gangrape victim in December 2012. TV channels had shown Asaram telling his followers about the gangrape victim: "She should have called the culprits brothers and begged before them to stop...This could have saved her dignity and life. Can one hand clap? I don't think so." His unwelcome comments had led to huge protests at various places in the country.
What followed was a change of mood in the people. In February this year, his followers were beaten up and their vehicles burnt in a school in Ahmedabad. The Asaram Ashram Trust members had cracked a deal with the school authorities to organise the programme allegedly without disclosing their identity. However, when they put up a huge photo of the godman at the venue, people became furious and started pelting stones. This was in his home state. He was not welcome elsewhere also. Early this year, several outfits opposed Asaram's visit to the Allahabad kumbh and a camp set up for his discourse at the kumbh mela ground was vandalised.
The lakhs, who once heard him speak on devotional TV channels about the merits of ascetic life from his decked out throne and those who have had even once the privilege of sprinkling with marigold the red carpet that took the godman's holy feet from his various Mercs and BMWs to his throne, are in a state of disbelief. However, the father-son duo has not given up yet. They are trying everything under their hat to keep their support base intact.
That's not all. His followers, who can very well be mercenaries, are spotted in trains and buses in sundry cities distributing pamphlets about the media trial of the godman and his total innocence. This writer was witness to one such group of women being hounded out by angry passengers aboard the Lucknow-New Delhi Shatabdi a couple of weeks ago. Besides, Surat police has also come across pamphlets printed in Hindi claiming that the rape complaints are part of conspiracy against Asaram and his son Narayan Sai. The pamphlet blames political parties, police and media for running the campaign. Police are now looking for the source of the pamphlets.
But the godman, who still wears an adorned crown in thousands of posters, put up all over the religious and non-religious cities across India is not the hate guy all of a sudden. All this began with his controversial statement on the Delhi gangrape victim in December 2012. TV channels had shown Asaram telling his followers about the gangrape victim: "She should have called the culprits brothers and begged before them to stop...This could have saved her dignity and life. Can one hand clap? I don't think so." His unwelcome comments had led to huge protests at various places in the country.
What followed was a change of mood in the people. In February this year, his followers were beaten up and their vehicles burnt in a school in Ahmedabad. The Asaram Ashram Trust members had cracked a deal with the school authorities to organise the programme allegedly without disclosing their identity. However, when they put up a huge photo of the godman at the venue, people became furious and started pelting stones. This was in his home state. He was not welcome elsewhere also. Early this year, several outfits opposed Asaram's visit to the Allahabad kumbh and a camp set up for his discourse at the kumbh mela ground was vandalised.
The lakhs, who once heard him speak on devotional TV channels about the merits of ascetic life from his decked out throne and those who have had even once the privilege of sprinkling with marigold the red carpet that took the godman's holy feet from his various Mercs and BMWs to his throne, are in a state of disbelief. However, the father-son duo has not given up yet. They are trying everything under their hat to keep their support base intact.
Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/legal-options-closing-asaram-tries-charm-on-believers/1/314729.html
