Salute The Courage Of The Rape Complainants against Ram Rahim
Salute the courage of the two women who filed and pursued the complaint of rape against all powerful Gurmeet Ram Rahim, defying intimidation and death threats. It is their bravery we must thank for the conviction of Ram Rahim for rape in a CBI Court yesterday.
What we cannot forget or forgive is the manner in which the rape-accused Ram Rahim and his Dera continued to get patronage from political powers and Governments.
Ram Rahim was accused of raping two women. The CBI had chargesheeted him. He had arranged the murder of a journalist who reported the rapes. Yet, political parties had no shame in seeking his electoral support – and giving him government funds and patronage in return!
Ram Rahim enjoyed a political relationship with INLD and Congress. In the past several years, he shifted his loyalties to the BJP.
During last few days, why did the BJP Government of Haryana allow lakhs of Ram Rahim supporters to gather and riot in Panchkula? Why did Haryana police “forget to invoke” Section 144?
The answers are clear:
- Top BJP leaders – including Kailash Vijayvargeeya, National General Secretary of the BJP; Manoharlal Khattar, the Haryana CM; and the PM Narendra Modi – sought and received electoral support from the rape-accused Ram Rahim.
- 19 of the 47 BJP MLAs including Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala went to pay tributes to Ram Rahim and thank him for his support in the 2014 Assembly Elections
- At least 3 senior BJP ministers in Haryana – Ram Bilas Sharma, Anil Vij and Grover – have together gifted the Dera Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Rs 1.12 crore!
- BJP Minister Ram Bilas Sharma who helped fund Ram Rahim, said during the riots that “Section 144 imposed in Panchkula did not apply to Dera supporters”!
- BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj, in a blatant display of rape culture, said: “One person has complained of rape against Ram Rahim. Crores others believe he is God. Who do you think is right?”
- BJP MP Subramaniam Swamy tweeted, after the Court ordered the Dera’s properties to be attached to pay for vandalisation: “A new threat to Sadhus: Politicians & ashramites wanting to grab Ashram wealth by sending the Swamijis to jail. Sadhus must groom successors “
- I&B Minister Smriti Irani sought to gag the media covering the riots and in fact blame the media coverage for the riots by Ram Rahim supporters by tweeting: “Drawing attention of News Channels to Clause B of Fundamental Std. of NBSA refraining channels from causing panic, distress & undue fear.”
Today, BJP leaders justify their support by saying a) Ram Rahim was just accused of rape, not convicted and b) they were giving him funds and taking his support because the “Dera does good social work”. Such arguments actually help normalise rape and murder.
Asaram and Ram Rahim were accused of rape of women in their Ashram/Dera custody; and of murdering people to cover up their rapes. Ram Rahim has finally been convicted of rape, and his murder trial is on. BJP leaders like Subramaniam Swamy – with their open support for Asaram and Ram Rahim – are seeking to normalise and trivialise rape and murder.
Sakshi Maharaj of course is suggesting that rape complaints should not be decided by Courts but should be a popularity contest – those rapists who enjoy popular support must be acquitted!
Those political leaders like Modi, Khattar, scores of Haryana BJP leaders who flaunted their closeness to a man accused of rape and murder; Sakshi and Swamy who are openly defending the rapist even after his conviction; and Smriti Irani who is seeking to blame media rather that the BJP Government for the rioting – owe an answer to the people of India.
In 2012, we held the Congress Governments at Delhi and the Centre responsible for a rape and murder.
In 2017, shouldn’t the BJP Governments at Haryana and the Centre be held accountable for publicly supporting a rapist and, after his conviction, allowing his supporters to run riot and besiege two states and parts of Delhi?
Should they not resign?
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