"Why Did You Allow this Build Up, Stop Whining" Says Court to Haryana, as Rape Accused Dera Chief Arrives in Court in Cavalcade

CHANDIGARH: “You enabled this...you allowed large numbers to reach here...now you are whining you dont have enough forces, the Punjab and Haryana High Court pulled up the state governments that have placed themselves literally under siege.

Why? Just because the court has to pronounce the judgement on a rape case filed against Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh who has assumed a larger than life image in the region, largely because of the complete immunity and encouragement given to him by the political class. It is no secret that the Bharatiya Janata Party embraced this guru, seeking his support and fanning his ego during the state elections even as he moved from a ‘guru’ to a rock star with albums and movies under his arm.

Singh, as one writes this, on his way to the court with hundreds of vehicles in tow. The convoy does not consist of broken down Marutis, but clearly represents the monied people of Haryana and Punjab. And now over the years---since 1990 to be precise when he took over the ashram---he has opened branches in at least 46 places across India, has a website that describes him as a “scientist”, “athlete”, “inventor”, “musician”, “author”, “inventor”---in fact there is nothing that the man is not.

In Madhya Pradesh he has an ashram spread over 18 acres. He occupies prime land, lives a life of immunity clearly, has transcended stardom entering into a new league of fame and money altogether, and is wooed by political parties seeking to win the polls. The initial leg up of course came from political patronage as many who know Singh say, and now he has reached levels where the politcial parties---more specifically the BJP---have been pulling out all the plugs to get his support. As in the Haryana polls Singh, who claims a support of over five crores people, kept everyone guessing for a bit and then declared his support for the BJP, generating sheer happiness in the party. BJP President Amit Shah, Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj were amongst those who met, and the local BJP led a delegation of 40 odd legislators to meet him.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Singh for his ‘cleanliness drive’ at an election rally, after which the Dera came out in full support of the BJP.Haryana poll in charge Anil Vij went on the record to express his gratitude to Singh, maintaining that his support “definitely” helped the BJP win the polls.

So clearly, as the court has pointed out, this could well be payback time for the ruling party that is now of course worried about an adverse verdict. It is perhaps not insignifcant that the rape case against the Dera chief is not recent, and goes back to 2002 when a Dera sadhvi wrote to then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee saying she had been raped by the man. She said that he had raped other female followers in his ashram on the outskirts of Sirsa, in Haryana.

Interestingly, the Punjab and Haryana High Court took suo moto cognisance of the letter and directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to register a case. Vajpayee did not take direct action, nor did the state governments on this issue. CBI at the time interrogated many sadhvis and according to media reports at the time one of them said that she was raped with the argument that this would “purify” her. Interestingly, one of the sadhvis is reported to have told the CBI that when she went into his den, the doors closed behind her, and she found Singh to be watching a pornographic movie on a large screen.

It took six years to complete the investigation, with the trial against Gurmeet Singh beginning in 2008. It is almost ten years later that the court will deliver its verdict, in the afternoon at 230pn today.

Meanwhile the Dera supporters have lined up in mohallas, on streets, armed with lathis and other weapons---as a visible threat of the violence that will follow an adverse judgement. The pressure on the judiciary could be heard in the remarks yesterday where the court pulled up the government that is now worried about its ability to prevent violence.

Chandigarh, Panchkula, Haryana, Punjab are in a state of seige with traffic off the road, people going indoors as they wait for the confrontation that is brewing. The so called appeal by Singh to his followers to go home was rendered meaningless this morning with his show of strength as he travelled to the court for the verdict, with a cavalcade of 100 plus vehicles.

Since then Singh has entered the film industry, the music industry, and has sent up political volunteer forces of thousands of cadres. The Congress leaders of course continue to call on him, as do the movie stars, sportspersons and others. He extends patronage to doctors, lawyers and others in the state, and has reached levels that the court recognised, wondering why he had been allowed this level of leeway and laxity.