Digvijay Singh attacks BJP on Asaram Bapu issue

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Wednesday took a dig at the BJP on the Asaram Bapu issue, accusing the opposition party of practicing double standards on crime against women.

"Double standards of BJP on crime against women. Death penalty to others but pardon to fake God Men," he said on microblogging site Twitter without directly referring to Asaram Bapu.

His remarks also came in the backdrop of the BJP raising a hue and cry in Parliament over rapes across the country.

Singh's remarks came close on the heels of BJP leader Prabhat Jha defending Asaram Bapu, terming rape charges against him as a "Congress conspiracy".

BJP leader Uma Bharati has also earlier defended Bapu. "Rape charge against Asaram Bapu is a well planned Congress conspiracy," Jha had said yesterday and added that as "polls approach, Congress party gets upset and indulges in all sorts of political conspiracies against its opponent".

Singh had said yesterday that Asaram Bapu, who was booked on charges of forcing a 16-year-old girl to take part in an act of unnatural sex at a Jodhpur ashram a week ago, should present himself before the Jodhpur Police and help in the investigation and added that this is not the first time that such allegations have been made against the self-styled godman.

"In any complaint by a woman or a girl, the onus of proving someone innocent, the burden of proof lies on the accused. So instead of running away from investigation, Asaram Bapu should present himself before the Jodhpur Police and help in the investigation of the complaint against him. This is not the first time that such allegations are made against him," he had said.

As per the summons issued on Monday, 72-year-old Asaram has to appear before the Jodhpur Police for questioning within four days.

Asaram has sought more time from Jodhpur Police for appearing before it in connection with sexual assault charges against him even as he dismissed the allegations as being "baseless".