Rape allegations against Asaram Bapu is Congress conspiracy: BJP

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Bhind (Madhya Pradesh): After BJP leader Uma Bharti, BJP Vice President Prabhat Jha also defended Asaram Bapu here on Friday, terming rape charges against him as a 'Congress conspiracy'.
"Rape charges against Asaram Bapu is a well planned Congress conspiracy," Jha told reporters. He said that as polls approach, Congress party gets upset and indulges in all sorts of political conspiracies against its opponents. Asaram Bapu has a large number of followers and these kind of allegations have hurt them deeply.
Answering a question about Union Minister of State for Power (Independent Charge) Jyotiraditya Scindia, he said that he is confined to a particular region of Madhya Pradesh only and is not considered as a mass leader. Scindia never participated in any people's movement not he had he ever gone to jail for taking part in any such event.
He challenged Scindia to prove himself by contesting polls from any other seat other than Guna and Gwalior.
Jha said that the ongoing Janashirwad Yatra of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has turned into a people's movement and has left behind even senior BJP leader L.K. Advani's 'rath yatra'. The BJP leader compared its popularity with famous television serials like Mahabharat and Ramayana.
Next: Cong MP demands action against Asaram Bapu

Cong MP demands action against Asaram Bapu
New Delhi: The issue of a rape case filed by a minor against Asaram Bapu figured in Rajya Sabha on Friday, with a Congress member demanding action against the spiritual guru.
The matter, however, saw sharp exchanges between BJP and treasury benches after the ruling party member named a BJP leader for supporting the spiritual leader.
Raising it during Zero Hour, Prabha Thakur (Cong) said it was a matter of shame that someone who claimed to be a saint had indulged in such an act.
As Thakur demanded action against Asaram Bapu and asked him to leave sainthood, Congress members shouted "shame, shame" in unison.
"Asaram Bapu is known as a saint. If a person like this is found involved in such an abhorrent act, he should quit his sainthood," she said.
Thakur said despite claims made by his spokesperson that he was not present in Jodhpur, the evidence of his presence there has been confirmed by reports of Airport Authority of India and the owner of the farm house where he stayed. She said a senior BJP leader had come out in support of Bapu.

As soon as she tried to name the leader, BJP members rose in protest. This led to sharp exchanges between BJP and Congress members that continued for sometime, with Deputy Chairman P J Kurien expunging the name of the BJP leader.
"No names please," Kurien said while trying to pacify the protesting BJP members. "I will go through the records and if she has said anything about Sant Samaj, I will expunge the same," Kurien added.