Daijiworld Media Network

Rohtak (Haryana), Sep 16: After Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted of rape, his followers are slowly distancing themselves from the sect.

The Dera chief had a following of more than 4 crore people, who would blindly buy the merchandise he launches, watch the movies he has acted and also vote for political parties, he suggests. Chief Ministers, ministers, MLAs would queue up before him with folded hands, give hefty grants to the cash-rich Baba. Saffron party led by RSS ideologue ML Khattar in Haryana was a big gainer of the Dera support in the 2014 assembly polls.

The Dera chief earned a lot through his followers. However, now many of his followers have pulled down photos of the “godman” which once adorned their walls. Many have also discarded the ‘1’ logo locket that showed their loyalty to the Dera sect.

Haryana government has put on hold the Rs 51 lakh grant announced by Haryana education minister Ram Bilas to Dera Sacha Sauda. The announcement was made by the minister during his visit to the dera’s headquarters at Sirsa on August 16 to attend Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s week-long birthday celebrations.

Input suggests that the sect chief’s son Jasmeet may step in as the heir to keep the Dera followers together. However, it is Singh’s adopted daughter Honeypreet who is more popular among the followers. She has gone underground after sedition charges were slapped against her.