New Delhi, Jan 18 (Mail Today) : Dera Sacha Sauda leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim, whose followers had recently accused stand-up comedian Kiku Sharda and eight others of hurting religious sentiments, is now facing similar charges himself. All India Hindu Student Federation, in a complaint to Mohali Police, has accused him of hurting religious sentiments by dressing up as Lord Vishnu.
All India Hindu Student Federation has accused him of insulting Lord Vishnu and hurting religious sentiments of Hindus by dressing up as Lord Vishnu.
The self-styled godman can be seen descending from the sky as Lord Vishnu, a gimmick that left federation activists fuming. While cops are yet to register an FIR in Zirakpur, student leaders have threatened to move the court if action is not taken against Gurmeet Ram Rahim.
"We will not tolerate Gurmeet Ram Rahim insulting our gods and gurus. He first insulted Guru Gobind Singh ji and is now seen as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu in one of the videos.
He got TV actor Kiku Sharda arrested just for mimicking him after which the police arrested the actor immediately. We gave a complaint to the Zirakpur police station, which is hesitating to register a case against him. We will move the court if the case is not registered immediately," Nishant Sharma, president of the All India Hindu Student Federation, told Mail Today.
Police officials, however, confirmed having received a complaint but refused to come on camera. Sources say the government may not be keen to take action against the baba due to the upcoming elections in the state as the self-styled godman has a strong support base in Doaba region of Punjab.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim has drawn flak for dressing up like Lord Vishnu in a music video.
"We have received the complaint but the jurisdiction lies where the video was shot. The complaint should be registered where the video was shot," said Deep Inder Singh, SHO, Zirakpur (Mohali). This is the second such case against Gurmeet Ram Rahim who is already facing a blasphemy case registered in 2007.
He is also accused of dressing up like tenth Sikh guru Gobind Singh - an allegation that the self-styled godman has denied.
On February 5, 2015, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on February had issued notices to Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim and Punjab government while hearing a petition seeking cancellation of a 2014 Bhatinda court order acquitting the self-styled godman of blasphemy charges. The court, while issuing a notice to the Dera chief, had asked why the 2014 order may not be cancelled.
Petitioner Jaspal Singh Majhpur had told the court that Gurmeet Ram Rahim had, on May 11, 2007, organised a congregation of his followers in village Salabatpura. He had then dressed up like Guru Gobind Singh.
THIS is not the first time that Gurmeet Ram Rahim has courted controversy for allegedly hurting religious statements. Sikh bodies have cried foul over the self-styled godman dressing up as Guru Gobind Singh in the past. Members of Sikh organisation Naya Daur Party, protesting against Gurmeet Ram Rahim, were seen locked in a verbal spat with the Baba's followers at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Sunday. Policemen deployed on the spot had to intervene to stop the verbal spat from turning ugly.