Narendra Modi going slow on Asaram case: Gujarat Congress

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat Congress today accused the BJP government of going slow on self-styled godman Asaram's alleged wrongdoings in the state and demanded a high court-monitored inquiry by a special investigation team.

" Gujarat government led by its Chief Minister Narendra Modi saved Asaram despite repeated allegations of land encroachment, sexual exploitation and even corrupt practices," Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee chief Arjun Modhvadia alleged.

He said that whenever allegations against Asaram came to the fore, the Gujarat government failed to take any action.

"If they had taken action earlier, then he would not have had the guts to commit further crimes," he said.

Modhvadia released a compact disc containing Asaram's lectures in which he had praised Narendra Modi.

"There should be a high court monitored inquiry by a special investigation team against Asaram and Modi to find out the nexus between the two," Modhvadia said.

Listing events like deaths of two cousins Dipesh Vaghela and Abishek Vaghela, as well as a land grab case in Surat which surfaced before Asaram was arrested in the sexual assault case in Jodhpur, Modhvadia said that the Gujarat government did not take any action in these cases.

Recently, the Surat police registered two complaints -- one against Asaram and another against his son Narayan Sai -- for rape, sexual assault, illegal confinement and other charges.