Can Dera Sacha Sauda chief sway polls?

For the third time this yr, Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, convicted in rape and homicide circumstances, has been launched from jail.

His 40-day parole from Rohtak’s Sunaria jail in Haryana comes forward of the state panchayat election and the three November Adampur bypoll.

As per Indian Specific, the Dera chief’s household had sought month-long parole for him and submitted an software to the jail authorities on this regard.

After his launch, Ram Rahim went to his dera in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat amid tight police safety.

Haryana minister of jail Ranjit Singh stated speculations shouldn’t be made on the Dera chief’s launch as “it’s the entitlement of a convict to get parole”, experiences Indian Specific.

Ram Rahim is presently serving 20-year life imprisonment within the rape case of two of his girls disciples.

What has the response been to Ram Rahim Singh’s parole? When was he launched from jail earlier this yr? Why is the Dera Sacha Sauda chief launched forward of elections? Let’s take a more in-depth look.

Congress, SGPC slam launch

Senior Congress chief Udit Raj hit out on the Bharatiya Janata Social gathering (BJP) on the discharge of Ram Rahim Singh, saying the saffron celebration ought to discipline him within the upcoming election.

Taking to Twitter, he wrote, “Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim was given 40 days parole in view of the bypoll in Adampur. Why doesn’t BJP make Ram Rahim contest the election in order that he doesn’t should take secret votes?”

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) additionally questioned the Dera chief’s launch.

SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami alleged in a press release that whereas ‘particular kindness’ is proven to Gurmeet Ram Rahim, Sikhs imprisoned for 3 a long time usually are not being launched regardless of finishing their sentences, information company PTI reported.

“This…brings the functioning of governments beneath query. Such techniques for political positive factors usually are not within the curiosity of the nation and governments ought to chorus from hurting Sikh sentiments,” Dhami was quoted as saying by the information company.

The SGPC has condemned the Dera Sacha Sauda chief launch earlier too.

In October final yr, the self-styled ‘godman’ and 4 different accused have been convicted by a particular Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court docket for the 2002 homicide of former Dera supervisor Ranjit Singh.

Ram Rahim and three others have been pronounced responsible in 2019 in reference to the homicide of Ram Chandra Chhatrapati, editor of the Sirsa-based newspaper Poora Sach.

When Ram Rahim was launched this yr

Forward of the Punjab Meeting elections in February this yr, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was launched on furlough for 21 days.

To this point, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has been launched thrice this yr. News18 File Picture

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had dismissed any relation between his launch and the Punjab polls. “The convict has been granted furlough as there’s a provision for a similar in legislation. There isn’t a reference to the Punjab polls and it’s only a coincidence,” he had stated, as per Indian Specific.

Furlough is granted in long-term imprisonment circumstances and might be given periodically no matter any motive, notes Indian Specific.

Throughout his February launch, he was accorded Z-plus safety cowl attributable to a “high-level menace to his life from pro-Khalistani components”.

As per Indian Specific, he continues to get Z-plus safety cowl at any time when he’s launched from jail.

In June this yr, Ram Rahim was granted parole for a month.

Ram Rahim’s political clout

A lot of the Dera chief’s followers are Dalits, however he additionally enjoys help amongst Sikhs, Muslims and Christians in Haryana and Punjab, as per India Immediately.

Though Ram Rahim claims he’s ‘apolitical’, the Dera has a political affairs wing to ‘information followers’ on which candidate to vote for in elections, experiences ThePrint.

As per Indian Specific, within the 2014 Haryana Meeting election, he had backed the BJP which was additionally pushed by the nationwide Narendra Modi wave. Notably, the celebration had come to energy with a transparent majority within the state.

Many BJP leaders had flocked to Ram Rahim to precise gratitude after the outcomes.

Regardless of Ram Rahim’s conviction in a rape case two years earlier, Khattar had stated in 2019 that the BJP will attain out to the Dera Sacha Sauda for its help within the Lok Sabha polls, as per Occasions of India (TOI).

It’s not solely the BJP, however senior leaders of all events from Haryana, Punjab, UP, Rajasthan and Delhi used to go to the Dera chief to hunt his help earlier than he was imprisoned.

In 2007, the Dera had backed Congress however the celebration didn’t win elections in Punjab, experiences Indian Specific.

The Dera claims it has a lot of followers in Punjab’s Malwa area.

As per ThePrint, the Dera head might sway election outcomes by asking his followers who to vote for and might impression ballot outcomes, particularly in seats the place there was an in depth contest between candidates.

Ram Rahim’s message for his followers

After his launch on 14 October, Ram Rahim Singh launched a video asking his followers to “comply with the instructions of the accountable individuals” and never act per their very own will.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has been convicted in rape and homicide circumstances. AP File Picture

“Visitations will go on, and so will the interactions. I’ll share every part with you, however you need to comply with what’s being informed. I do know that I don’t have to repeat it. You at all times comply with. It’s important to act as per the instructions of the accountable individuals and never as per your personal will,” he was quoted as saying by The Tribune.

Whereas the Dera administration has maintained that the message was supposed to ask followers to not rush to the Barnawa ashram in UP to fulfill Ram Rahim, some see a political motive behind the video.

“The discharge of the Dera head forward of the panchayat election and the Adampur bypoll implies bare opportunism of the ruling celebration in Haryana. The transfer is an insult to the household of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, for whose homicide the Dera head was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment,” Pawan Kumar Bansal, political commentator-cum-author, informed The Tribune.

With inputs from companies

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