Evil still revered in Banashankari

By Y Maheswara Reddy

Not many Bengalureans know that Asumal Sirumalani Harpalani is the actual title of Asaram Bapu. Even fewer other people know that the now-imprisoned godman’s ashram is situated at Banashankari IInd Stage in Bengaluru. The enforcing premises of the Asaram Bapu Ashram has been constructed on a civic amenity (CA) web site, that was once allotted by way of the Bangalore Development authority (BDA) in December 2004 on rent for 30 years.

The BDA had fastened a fee of Rs 2,100 per square metre for a web site of 585.48 sq.metres. The general price of the web site was once Rs 12,29,508, when leased for 30 years.

The Asaram Ashram Trust in Bengaluru hogged the limelight a lot ahead of its founder hit the headlines. Asaram Bapu was once mired in quite a few murky circumstances, unlawful encroachments, mysterious deaths of younger boys in his ashram and rape of sweet sixteen girls. Karnataka Janahitha Vedike, a social group complained to the BDA in 2014 that the Asaram Ashram Trust was once misusing the premises allotted to it. The BDA engineers who inspected the premises showed that the Trust was once promoting Ayurvedic drugs at the premises and not using a business license. Soon after, the sale of medications was once stopped.

Now, many social activists are tough that the BDA cancel the allotment of the web site to the Trust and allocate it to every other group that’s operating for the betterment of the needy and orphans.

The BDA should now not allot websites to fake babas like Asaram Bapu. I demand the BDA cancel the rent settlement. He has ruined the lives of many hapless minor girls

– Nagalakshmi Bai, Chairperson, Kar State Commission for Women

“The BDA should now not allot websites to fake babas like Asaram Bapu. I demand the BDA cancel the rent settlement, recuperate the web site and allot it to other organisations. There are many social provider organisations functioning or working from rented constructions. I oppose the Asaram Ashram performing from this premises. He has ruined the lives of many gullible and hapless minor girls,’’ says Nagalakshmi Bai, Chairperson of Karnataka State Commission for Women.

Echoing her ideas, Sai Datta, a social activist, said that Asaram Bapu was once now not a offender when the BDA allotted the web site to the Asaram Ashram Trust. But now that the godman has been sentenced to life until demise in a rape case, the BDA should cancel the rent settlement.

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“Kannada other people don't wish to be guided by way of Asaram Bapu followers on find out how to apply yoga and do bhajans. There are many of us other people who find themselves experts in yoga. I demand the BDA cancel the rent settlement and use the civic amenity web site for a greater function,’’ says Sai Datta.

However, a volunteer of the Asaram Ashram Trust has said that actions reminiscent of yoga, bhajans and more, proceed to be conducted at the premises. “We have now not won any data from the BDA. If the BDA government send a understand or seek data from us, the Trust participants will take a call,’’ says a volunteer on conditions of anonymity.

Meanwhile, BDA Commissioner Rakesh Singh has said that he was once now not acutely aware of the BDA allocating a CA web site to Asaram Ashram Trust in Bengaluru.

“I am not acutely aware of this issue. It is news to me. I will be able to glance into the subject quickly,’’ said the BDA Commissioner.

Adarsha Iyer, co-president, Janaadhikara Sangharsha Parishat, says assuming that Asaram Bapu, the convict, nonetheless holds a place of a trustee, the whole accept as true with itself is unlawful as per the Indian Trust Act, 1882. “Hence, the subsistence of any allotment of any web site by way of any govt body, together with the BDA, to this allegedly illegal accept as true with will change into invalid and hence prone to cancellation,’’ says Adarsha Iyer.