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Spiritual leader Asaram Bapu on Thursday indirectly targeted United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, and accused them of leveling false accusations against him, in connection with the sexual assault of a minor.
“I don’t want to oppose any party but I’ve been told that all of this has been orchestrated by Madam and her son (Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi). So, I said, let them do whatever they are doing,” Asaram Bapu said.
In an immediate U-turn, when asked, by a reporter, if he was directly accusing Sonia Gandhi of playing a part in leveling the accusations, the self-styled godman said: “No, I don’t accuse anyone. I am just saying what I heard, since you (the mediapersons) asked me the question.”
He also categorically ruled out that he enjoys the support any political outfit.
Asaram Bapu confirmed that he will not ask for more time, in spite of his followers flooding the streets across the country in protest of the allegations levelled against him.
According to sources, Rajasthan police is unlikely to give more time to the spiritual guru to appear for questioning in connection with a sexual assault case filed against him by a 16-year-old girl.
The girl, who is from Uttar Pradesh, had made a complaint at a police station in New Delhi on August 20, accusing Asaram Bapu of sexually assaulting her at his ashram in Jodhpur.
Asaram Bapu’s son has defended his father in the sexual assault case and has called the victim ''mentally unstable''.
Media reports said the remark was made before followers in Gujarat, even as the victim’s father alleged that he had been getting threatening phone calls over the case.
Earlier, the victim had said in her statement to the police that she was threatened by Asaram Bapu to remain silent about the incident.
A Jodhpur police team on Wednesday delivered summons to Asaram in this case involving a minor.
The officials, who went to Asaram Bapu’s ashram to deliver the summons to him, asked him to appear before the Jodhpur police for questioning by August 30 in the case.
Asaram Bapu’s aide Neelam Dubey has also defended him in this case of alleged sexual assault.
Asaram Bapu has been booked under Sections 376, 342, 506 and 509 of the IPC, Section 8 of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and Sections 23 and 26 of the Juvenile Justice Act.
Besides the summons served on Asaram Bapu, notices have also been issued to the manager of Chhindwara gurukul in Madhya Pradesh, hostel warden and the main caretaker of Asaram, who was present at Manai ashram in Jodhpur with him on August 15, when the alleged sexual assault took place there.