“(In exchange) of money being given by a foreign NGO, the media is spreading absurd stories (about spiritual leaders).”

— Asaram, formerly also “bapu”, in Ballia on Wednesday
 

Writing from a desk loaded with wads of dollars and euros just received from a secret “foreign NGO”, with my feet soaked in buckets of champagne for the evening pedicure and a palatial suite booked for the night in a luxe hotel, I write to censure the self-styled godman, Asaram.

The “foreign NGO” is paying fortunes to mediapersons like me to destroy Asaram’s image because his immense popularity, which lasted until a few weeks ago, had become a threat to the sovereignty of that NGO’s country. 

The same NGO also paid money to the students and their parents in Ahmedabad who vandalised and torched vehicles belonging to members of the Asaram Ashram Trust, who came to a school to deliver a lecture on moral values. This happened on Tuesday.

The Asaram Ashram Trust members had cracked a deal with the school authorities to organise the programme allegedly without disclosing their identity. They had reportedly sought permission from the school authorities to organise a programme to make students learn value and respect for mother. However, when ashram members kept a huge photo of Asaram before beginning the programme, the students alerted their parents and soon a crowd of hundreds gathered outside the school and pelted stones at the members.

Trust members were reportedly dragged out of the school and beaten up. The crowd torched two vehicles in which ashram members had arrived at the school. They also set pamphlets and photos of Asaram on fire during the violence.

And this is all due to dollars and euros paid by the same “foreign NGO” to that crowd in Ahmedabad.

The same NGO also gave loads of foreign currency notes to people at the kumbh mela in Allahabad. Only that explains why a few days earlier several outfits had opposed Asaram’s visit to the Allahabad kumbh and a camp set up for his discourse at the kumbh mela ground was vandalised.

Addressing a rally at Ballia in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, Asaram claimed it was because of money from that NGO that the media had twisted his statement regarding the Delhi gangrape victim. “If anyone can prove that I held the girl responsible for the rape, I will give him Rs 50 lakh,” the spiritual guru said.

So, now the baba has got it right. For the dollars and euros of that NGO, he has announced Rs 50 lakh. He might announce more. He has got it in abundance.