On BJP leaders' presence at Ram Rahim's ‘satsang’, Mahua Moitra says this

The rape convict was recently granted parole for forty days, and is out of jail for the third time this year.

Hitting out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on grant of parole to rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra on Wednesday asked if the BJP would declare a national ‘Rapists' Day' holiday.

Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra (Image: PTI)

“What next - BJP declaring ”Rapists' Day' as a national holiday? Rape convict Ram Rahim gets parole again, hosts satsang attended by a host of BJP Haryana leaders," Moitra tweeted.

Karnal mayor Renu Bala Gupta, deputy mayor Naveen Kumar, and senior deputy mayor Rajesh Saggi are among those from the Haryana unit of the saffron party who attended the event, which took place virtually.

Ram Rahim, who heads the Dera Sacha Sauda, was convicted in August 2017 for raping 2 women disciples, and was recently granted parole for 40 days. Serving a jail term of 20 years, his parole came just ahead of the upcoming byelections to the Adampur assembly seat in the BJP-ruled Haryana, triggering a political controversy.

The 55-year-old enjoys a massive following in some northern states, especially Haryana. After his conviction in the rape case, violent protests took place in Haryana, and spilled over to the neighbouring states.

Earlier this year, in February, he was granted furlough for 3 weeks. Then, in June, he came out on a month-long parole.

Meanwhile, the ongoing controversy comes at a time when the BJP is already facing severe backlash over remission granted to all the eleven convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case. The remission was approved by the BJP-led central government after permission was sought by the party's government in Gujarat.

Moitra is among the petitioners who have challenged the move in the Supreme Court. The next hearing in the case will take place on November 29.