Gujarat minister sends 'best wishes' to rape convict Asaram Bapu

January 30, 2019 10:54

In an embarrassment to the ruling party in Gujarat, the state's education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama today wrote to rape-convict Asaram Bapu's organisation congratulating them for celebrating 14 February as 'Matru-Pitru Diwas'.

Chudasama thanked the ashram for organising its annual 'Matru-Pitru Pujan Divas' on 14 February instead of Valentine's Day, and congratulated him and sent him his 'best wishes' for doing "great work in making young boys and girls and unmarried men and women better citizens of India".

Matru-Pitru Poojan Divas is celebrated by the organisation 'so that the youth remember their parents with gratitude instead of getting influenced by western culture propagated by the celebration of Valentine's Day'.

Self-styled godman Asaram Bapu was sentenced to life in prison by a Jodhpur court which found him guilty of raping a 16-year-old girl in one of his ashrams five years ago. Madhu Sudan Sharma, Special Judge, SC/ST Cases, handed 20 years each in jail to Asaram's two aides, Sanchita alias Shilpi and Sharad Chandra alias Sharat Chandra, for helping him in the crime.

Image: The letter sent to Asaram's ashram by the Gujarat education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama.

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