My govt’s arrest of Asaram Bapu was right, says Ashok Gehlot

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, whose government in Rajasthan had arrested Asaram Bapu in August 2013 on charges of raping a 16-year-old girl, said on Wednesday that the court sentence has ‘vindicated our government arresting him’.

Gehlot, now an AICC general secretary, also re-iterated what he had said as the chief minister on the day of Asaram’s arrest— “nobody is above law”. He has urged the supporters of the tainted godman to “accept, respect and follow the course of justice”. Asaram’s arrest, which took place months ahead of the 2013 December Assembly elections in the state, had led to violent protests by thousands of his supporters in Rajasthan and some other states.

As a coincidence, his sentencing by the court also took place when the state is months away from going to elections. Recollecting how a team of Rajasthan police had arrested Asaram from his Indore ashram and flew him to Jodhpur in 2013, Gehlot told ET: “By arresting Asaram Bapu following a court direction, our government was doing our duty and responsibility.


The decision to bring him in police custody on a plane from Indore to Jodhpur was taken to ensure his socalled supporters didn’t get an opportunity to orchestrate protests and tamasas on the way. I don’t think, there was any need to have created so much hype on Wednesday in the name of security that helped many to make an event of the court proceedings. That could have been done in more professional way.”

He said “spiritualism and genuine gurus are part of our culture” but warned that, “The way many self-styled godmen are landing in jails these days, it is important for the devotees to be careful about fake gurus. Fighting and protesting for such people are not a worthy cause.”