Remove Asaram`s name from Indore square, say protestants

Indore: Angry over self-proclaimed godman Asaram Bapu`s recent utterances and the fact that a case of sexual assault has been filed against him, various organisations have demanded that a square located in front of Crystal IT Park, which is named after him, be rechristened. A group of youths on Sunday will launch a vehicle rally to press for their demand of naming the square after Swami Vivekananda.

"The square should be named after Swami Vivekananda to pay respect towards his contributions including introducing of Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the western world," said Ajit Hardia. Hardia, who will lead the rally, added that Swami Vivekananda has a large number of youth followers and thus naming the square after him, which is surrounded by a number of educational institutions, would be a tribute to Swami Vivekananda on his 150th birth anniversary. A vehicle rally will be taken out from the square to the mayor house, where the youths will hand over a memorandum to Mayor KM Moghe apprising him of their demands. A competition is on among the political and social outfits to reproach Asaram and raising demands of renaming the square, by staging demonstrations, after a minor girl accused the self-proclaimed godman of sexual assault. Sikh community members had burnt an effigy of Asaram on August 25 for his controversial remarks against Gurunanak Dev further demanding that name of the Asaram Bapu square should be changed and should re-christened behind any martyr. After removing Asaram`s posters from the square on September 5, workers of Swarnim Bharat Inquilab Party (SBIP) had performed a `havan` inside the circle and had demanded to rename the square as IT Park Square. Interestingly, on September 6, poster and banners of Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar was put up by some unknown persons. "Indore Municipal Corporation is yet to get any written request in regard with re-naming the square," said Mayor Krishnamurari Moghe. DNA