Congress stoops even lower, shares decade-old video of Asaram with PM Modi after verdict.

In a landmark verdict given by the Jodhpur Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe Court Asaram Bapu was convicted of rape and other crimes. The verdict pronounced inside the Jodhpur Central Jail sentenced Asaram to life imprisonment till death while the two other accused were awarded 20 year sentences in the same verdict. The verdict is a victory of the justice system and it shows how a fair trial was conducted in the case. The investigations and trials lasted for a period of 5 years, much of which was spent in jail by Asaram and other accused. The justice meted out from this verdict should be enough to reinstate the faith of the people in the unbiased behaviour of the judiciary and in the non-interference of the Central or State government in the trial process. Nothing seems to be enough though for some ‘leaders’ and ‘unbiased media persons’ from the left spectrum.

No sooner had the news of Asaram getting convicted by the court got out than some people started sharing an old video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Asaram. The old video shows PM Modi who was then Chief Minister in Gujarat sharing the dais with Asaram.  Asaram praises the Chief Minister following which the then CM Modi addresses the crowd and welcomes them to the program. The program held in Gujarat has mainly Gujarati devotees of Asaram sitting in the audience. Asaram was a force to reckon with in the yesteryears and many CMs and local leaders from Gujarat and Rajasthan used to meet him to seek his blessings. He was neither an accused nor a convict back then, what is the harm in a political leader meeting with a Baba?  The same Congress party members who are pointing towards a connection between PM Modi and Asaram are forgetting that Asaram had first been allotted land to build his ashram in Gujarat by the Congress-led State government in Gujarat. Many local politicians from all the parties were his devotees and this infact had led to the growth and acceptance of Asaram amongst the common public. Neither Congress nor BJP can claim that leaders from Gujarat have never met or dealt with Asaram or other religious leaders.

Tables were also turned on the Congress when they were trolled by Twitter users who posted old images of Congress leader Digvijaya Singh with Asaram. After Asaram was arrested in the rape case in 2013, Singh had publically apologised and express regret for associating with him.

And for that matter neither can the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), as Yatin Oza, ex-BJP MLA and a lawyer for the case filed in Gujarat against Asaram, had been welcomed in AAP before the 2017 elections. Yatin Oza is a senior lawyer in the Gujarat High Court and he had fought the case on Asaram’s side in the rape case levied against Asaram. He was made the face of AAP in Gujarat, a move which was widely criticized by the AAP workers in the state.

These are not just counter allegations but an attempt to show the real nature of the left wing politicians and media houses. By sharing the video, the Congress and AAP supporters are not just attacking PM Modi but also the reputable post of the Prime Minister. The shaming on a global scale will hurt the image of India more than it will hurt the image of PM Modi who has ensured justice is meted out without political inclinations.