Asaram is no saint, he's just a mere discourser: MP minister

As skeletons continue to roll out of self-styled godman Asaram's closet, more and more BJP leaders are coming out in the open against him.

As skeletons continue to roll out of self-styled godman Asaram's closet, more and more BJP leaders are coming out in the open against him.

The latest attack came from Madhya Pradesh urban development minister Babulal Gaur who bluntly took the sheen off some of Asaram's saintly veneer.

"He is not a sant (saint). He is only a pravachan karta (someone who delivers religious discourses)," Gaur told reporters during a visit to the city on Friday. "Jo jaisa karega waisa bharega (as a person sows so shall he reap)," he added after a brief pause.

Later, when a reporter asked about the sexual abuse allegations which had cast a slur on the Asaram's character, Gaur coolly retorted, "Pravachan karta ka charitra aisa hi hota hai (that's how a discourser's character is)," before moving on to other issues.

Square naming under scrutiny
Mayor Krishna Murari Moghe said the civic body was scouring its documents to check whether the naming of the square after the godman had official sanction.

"We have asked officials to check whether the renaming was approved by the Mayor-in-Council or was the square just named after Asaram by his supporters," Moghe told HT before the press conference.

As per rules, a change in the name of a road, square etc has to be approved by the MiC and then ratified by the 69-member general council. Letters detailing the change in nomenclature are also forwarded to post & telegraph and other departments.