New Delhi:
Asaram Bapu was the first godman face public ire on Monday after the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad released a list of 14 'fake' babas in the country.
Residents of Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri town blocked a mini-truck decorated like a 'rath' with undertrial Asaram Bapu's photographs. The public demanded that photographs of the godman which were placed alongside pictures of Lord Krishna be pulled down.
Residents of the town were soon joined by the local saffron activists who blackened the self-styled spiritual guru's portraits with ink and ripped through his photographs raising slogans calling Asaram an alleged "rapist".
They even tried to burn down the truck when the police reached the spot and took control of the situation, a report said.
Read | Top 14 fake babas issued; Asaram Bapu, Radhe Maa, Gurmeet Ram Rahim make the cut
The incident occurred at the town's Do-Batti Square in the Kotwali police station area. As more and more people joined this agitation, police seized the vehicle and had it parked in the police station campus.
According to the police, rath started from Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh early on Monday and was travelling towards Sheopur in Madhya Pradesh to publicise Asaram and his discourses.
Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, the apex organisation for Hindu sadhus on Sunday released a list of 14 'fake' sants including Asaram Bapu and his son Narayan Sai, Gurmeet Ram Rahim and others because of the allegations, court cases and controversies surrounding them. The Akhara Parishad declared such fake 'babas' should be sent to jail.
