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=== Attempted murder ===
=== Attempted murder ===
A former member of the Asaram ashram, Raju Chandak, claimed in an affidavit with the police that tantric rituals were being performed in the ashram, and that he had seen Asaram Bapu sexually exploiting women.<ref name=darkside /><ref name="mm-attempt" /> In December 2009, Raju Chandak was attacked with guns by two unknown persons in the Ramnagar locality of Sabarmati. The [[Gujarat]] police filed an attempt to murder case against Asaram Bapu and two others.<ref name="mm-attempt">{{cite news
A former member of the Asaram ashram, Raju Chandak, claimed in an affidavit with the police that tantric rituals were being performed in the ashram, and that he had seen Asaram Bapu sexually exploiting women.<ref name=darkside>{{cite news|last=Deshpande|first=Haima|title=The Dark Side of Asaram Bapu|url=http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/nation/the-dark-side-of-asaram-bapu|accessdate=8 May 2013|newspaper=[[OPEN (Indian magazine)]]|date=9 February 2013}}</ref><ref name="mm-attempt" /> In December 2009, Raju Chandak was attacked with guns by two unknown persons in the Ramnagar locality of Sabarmati. The [[Gujarat]] police filed an attempt to murder case against Asaram Bapu and two others.<ref name="mm-attempt">{{cite news
| url=http://mumbaimirror.com/news/india/Attempt-to-murder-case-filed-against-Asaram-Bapu/articleshow/15975226.cms?
| url=http://mumbaimirror.com/news/india/Attempt-to-murder-case-filed-against-Asaram-Bapu/articleshow/15975226.cms?
| title=Attempt to murder case filed against Asaram Bapu
| title=Attempt to murder case filed against Asaram Bapu

Revision as of 14:18, 2 September 2013

Asaram Bapu
File:Asaram Bapu Ashram 1.png
Asaram Bapu
Born
Asumal Sirumalani

(1941-04-17) April 17, 1941 (age 83)
Berani, British India
NationalityIndian
SpouseLakshmi Devi
ChildrenNarayan Prem Sai (Son)
Bharti Devi (Daughter)
Parent(s)Mehangiba (Mother)
Thaumal Sirumalani (Father)
Websitewww.ashram.org

Asaram Bapu born Asumal Thaumal Harpalani[1][2] or Asumal Sirumalani[3] on April 17, 1941, is a Hindu preacher from India. He preaches the existence of One Supreme Conscious and claims Bhakti yoga, Gnana yoga and Karma yoga as influences.

Asaram built his first ashram on 10 acres of land in Gujarat. He adopted "bapu" as his surname. Presently, there are over 400 major and minor ashrams in India and abroad and numerous followers.

Ashram has been involved in several controversies including criminal cases filed against him, encroachment by his ashrams, his remarks on the 2012 Delhi gang rape, and a 2013 charge of rape of a minor girl.

Biography

Early life

Bapu was born on April 17, 1941,[4] in the Berani village of the Nawabshah District in British India (present day Pakistan), to Menhgiba and Thaumal Sirumalani.[5] Following the partition of India in 1947, he and his family shifted to Ahmadabad, Gujarat territory of Union of India of that time, now Republic of India, leaving behind theirs immovable assets in Sindh. Thaumal, Bapu's father, subsequently founded a company which produces coal and wood.[6] After the death of his father, he learned meditation and spirituality from his mother. He finally left his family and traveled the country, until he went to Vrindavan, to the ashram of saint Lilashah.[7]He used to sell tea around 1958-59 in front of Magistrate office.[3]

Personal life

He is married to Lakshmi Devi with whom he has a son, Narayan "Prem" Sai Harpalani[8] and a daughter.[7]

Spiritual life

Bapu's spiritual discourses have been scheduled in different Indian cities like Ahmedabad, Patna and others. His devotees are shown taking diksha (initiation by a guru) from him in these satsang programs. Around 20,000 students visited his satsang in Ahmedabad in December 2001.[9][10] In August 2012, when Bapu was on his way to deliver a lecture in a local college, his helicopter crashed while landing at Godhra. Bapu, the pilot, and the other passengers survived unharmed.[11][12]

Asaram Bapu Ashram

Main article: Asaram Bapu Ashram

Parents' Worship Day

Main article: Parents' Worship Day

In 2012 Asaram Bapu requested people to celebrate Valentine's Day as Parents' Worship Day. They published a booklet which described importance of worshiping one's own parents. As his spokesperson explained, they wanted to give an alternative of Valentine's Day to the youth.[13]

Controversies

Attempted murder

A former member of the Asaram ashram, Raju Chandak, claimed in an affidavit with the police that tantric rituals were being performed in the ashram, and that he had seen Asaram Bapu sexually exploiting women.[14][15] In December 2009, Raju Chandak was attacked with guns by two unknown persons in the Ramnagar locality of Sabarmati. The Gujarat police filed an attempt to murder case against Asaram Bapu and two others.[15][16]

Land encroachment in Navsari district

In the year 2000, the Asaram Ashram was allocated about 10 acres of land in Bhairavi village of Navsari district by the Gujarat government. The ashram encroached on an additional 6 acres, leading to protests in the local villages. On a complaint filed by locals, and after repeated notices were ignored, the district authorities with police assistance bulldozed the encroachments and took possession of the land.[17]

Land encroachment in Madhya Pradesh

The Yog Vedanta Samiti of Asaram Bapu was reportedly given permission to use the premises of the Mangalya temple in Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh for 11 days for a satsang in 2001. The samiti failed to vacate the premises after the satsang, and continue to occupy a total of 100 acres of land, valued at over 700 crores.[18] The land belongs to the now defunct Jayant Vitamins Limited.[18]

Asaram Bapu denies any involvement, saying the report are baseless and untenable.[19]

Statements on 2012 Delhi gang rape victim

Asaram Bapu was widely criticized after his remark that the December 16, 2012 Delhi gang rape victim was equally guilty along with those responsible for the sexual assault on her.[20] He is reported to have said: “Only five or six people are not the culprits. The victim is as guilty as her rapists... She should have called the culprits brothers and begged before them to stop... This could have saved her dignity and life. Can one hand clap? I don't think so.” [21] He is also reported to have said that he was against harsher punishments for the accused in the Delhi rape victim case, as the law could be misused. To support his point, he is said to have stated that, “Dowry law in India is the biggest example of law being misused.” [22] [23]

Allegations of sexual assault

In August 2013, Asaram was accused of sexually assaulting[1][24][25][26] a 16-year old girl at his ashram in Jodhpur on the pretext of exorcising her from evil spirits.[27] He was asked to surrender for interrogation by August 31, 2013. Asaram remained inside his other ashram in Indore and avoided arrest while his devotees clashed with journalists and policemen outside.[28] Eventually, the Jodhpur police arrested him on September 1, 2013 from his ashram.[29] [27] He has dismissed the girl's allegations[30] and said accusations were a conspiracy orchestrated by Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi of the ruling Congress Party.[31][32]

References

  1. ^ a b "Controversial godman: Can Asaram come clean on the rape allegations?". Hindustan Times. August 29, 2013.
  2. ^ "The Politics of Sex". India Today. August 30, 2013.
  3. ^ a b Preeti Panwar. "Asaram Bapu's life journey from a tea seller to the spiritual guru". Retrieved September 1, 2013.
  4. ^ "Coal-seller Harpalani turned Asaram 'bapu' faces new allegations". Daily Bhaskar. August 22, 2013. Archived from the original on August 22, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
  5. ^ "About - Sant Shri Asaramji Bapu". Retrieved March 2, 2008. Biography of Sant Sri Asharam Ji Bapu on Ashram's Website
  6. ^ "जब मोदी से बोले आसाराम, 'देखें तुम्‍हारी गद्दी कब तक और कैसे रहती है". Aaj Tak. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
  7. ^ a b "Asaram Bapu Son Narayan Sai". May 8, 2005. Retrieved May 8, 2005.
  8. ^ "Conspiracy to defame ashram: Asaram's son". Financial Express. November 12, 2012.
  9. ^ "Students throng at Asaram Bapu's discourse". December 2, 2001. Retrieved December 2, 2001.
  10. ^ "Many to take 'diksha' today". May 8, 2005. Retrieved May 8, 2005. Many to take 'diksha' today
  11. ^ "Spiritual leader Asaram Bapu survives chopper crash". The Times of India. August 30, 2012. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
  12. ^ Kapoor, Nirnay (August 29, 2012). "Mirculous escape for Asaram Bapu, helicopter crashlands in Godhra". India TV News. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
  13. ^ "Worship parents on Valentine's Day, says Asaram Bapu". India Today. January 29, 2012. Archived from the original on September 1, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
  14. ^ Deshpande, Haima (February 9, 2013). "The Dark Side of Asaram Bapu". OPEN (Indian magazine). Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  15. ^ a b "Attempt to murder case filed against Asaram Bapu". Mumbai Mirror. Ahmedabad. December 7, 2009. Retrieved January 11, 2013.
  16. ^ Headlines Today Bureau (January 4, 2010). "SC refuses to quash case against Asaram Bapu". India Today. Retrieved April 15, 2013.
  17. ^ "Asaram ashram encroachment demolished in Gujarat - Thaindian News". Thaindian.com. November 27, 2010. Retrieved January 11, 2013.
  18. ^ a b "Asaram Bapu’s prosecution sought for Rs 700cr land grab - Times Of India". Articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com. January 17, 2013. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
  19. ^ "Asaram denies involvement in Rs 700 cr land grab case in MP". Money Control. January 18, 2013. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
  20. ^ "The Real War on Women…in India". The Diplomat. January 9, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
  21. ^ "Asaram Bapu holds girl responsible for Delhi gangrape, says 'spare' the rapists, slams media". The Indian Express. New Delhi. ANI. January 8, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
  22. ^ "Delhi gangrape victim as guilty as rapists: Asaram Bapu". http://firstpost.com. January 7, 2013. Retrieved January 7, 2013. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  23. ^ "Asaram Bapu adds to shame, says victim at fault too". http://www.hindustantimes.com. January 7, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2013. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  24. ^ "Rajasthan Police dispatches team to interrogate Asaram Bapu in rape case". India Today. August 26, 2013.
  25. ^ "After rape, Asaram Bapu threatened me to keep quiet, says girl". Financial Express. August 26, 2013.
  26. ^ "Despite allegations ranging from murder to rape, why has Asaram Bapu never been arrested? 'BJP states' hold the answer". Daily Bhaskar. August 25, 2013.
  27. ^ a b "Asaram Bapu brought to Jodhpur after late night arrest". NDTV. September 1, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
  28. ^ Singh, Mahim Pratap (August 31, 2013). "Asaram supporters attack on journalists condemned". The Hindu.
  29. ^ "Indian guru Asaram Bapu arrested over rape claims". September 1, 2013.
  30. ^ "Bakwaas: Asaram Bapu's response to charges that he threatened teen girl". NDTV. August 27, 2013.
  31. ^ "Asaram Bapu says Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul behind conspiracy against him in sexual assault case". India Today. August 29, 2013.
  32. ^ "Sonia & Rahul running a campaign against me, says Asaram Bapu". Deccan Chronicle. August 29, 2013.

External links

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