Political leaders seek strong action against Asaram Bapu

New Delhi: Political leaders ON Tuesday demanded strong action against spiritual guru Asaram Bapu who has been accused of molesting a minor girl in Rajasthan.

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati demanded that strong action should be taken against Asaram Bapu. "The Rajasthan government should not allow such people to go scot free," she told reporters outside parliament. Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said instead of "running away", the spiritual guru should present himself before the police in Jodhpur to assist the probe. He said it was not the first time that such complaints have been levelled against Asaram Bapu. "In any complaint by a woman or a girl, the onus of proving innocence lies on the accused. He should present himself before the law if he thinks that he is innocent," he said. Communist Party of India`s Gurudas Dasgupta said, "Can you believe the brutality, the dehumanisation. I feel ashamed myself." Speaking on the same lines, JD-United leader Sharad Yadav said, "There are lots of good saints, but he is a businessman and belongs to the land mafia. He sells wrong medicines." He said strong action should be taken against Asaram Bapu. The minor victim filed a complaint at a police station in New Delhi Aug 20, accusing Asaram Bapu of sexually assaulting her at his ashram in Jodhpur city. A first Information Report (FIR) was registered against him in Jodhpur the following day after receiving a copy of the complaint from Delhi Police. MPs had also raised the issue in Parliament Monday. IANS