Amid reports of the alleged sexual escapades of the self-style controversial Godman Asaram Bapu coming in the media, the BJP and its ministers appear to be distancing themselves from the Asaram who is presently lodged in Jodhpur jail for his alleged involvement in the sexual assault on a teen-aged girl.
After Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and present State Urban Development Minister Babulal Gaur here on Friday refused to accept Asaram Bapu as a saint. Talking to media, Gaur when asked about his comment on the controversial godman, said that Asaram Bapu is not a saint. He is merely a discourse deliverer and all those to deliver discourse are of similar character, (Asaram Bapu sant nahi hain, we maatra ek pravachankarta hain, jinke charitra aise hi hote hain), the minister said adding everyone who indulge in such kind of activities, will have to bear the consequences.
Apparently, Gaur remark has cast a slur on all those who deliver discourse in the country and it may not gel with them. Talking about prospects of the BJP in the coming Assembly elections, Gaur said ever since the BJP came to power in 2003, the urban vote and strength of the BJP in the urban areas of Madhya Pradesh has increased. Surprisingly, the statistics provided by him about the number of seats won by the BJP in urban areas of the state both in 2003 and 2008 assembly elections belied his own claim as against 69 seats won by the BJP in urban areas of the state in 2003 elections, the total tally of the BJP seats in the urban areas in 2008 assembly elections declined to 62.
Gaur further claimed that the BJP seat tally in urban areas of Madhya Pradesh in 2013 assembly elections will go up to 70-75, while the Congress party’s seat tally in the urban areas of the state in the coming elections more or less would be the same as that of its tally in the last elections, Gaur said adding that Shivraj Singh Chouhan will be chief minister of the state for the third consecutive time after the next assembly elections.
Gaur who has turned 74 this year, appears to be in no mood to quit active politics and distance himself from contesting next assembly elections. Replying to a media query, Gaur categorically asserted that he will very much remain active in mainstream politics, will contest next assembly elections as well and will win it with comparatively bigger margin.
The minister accused the Union government for blocking JNRUM funds in Madhya Pradesh, thereby creating obstacles in ongoing works of the BRTS both in Bhopal and Indore. The Central Sanctioning and Monitory Committee in its meeting held in New Delhi on September 4, 2013 was supposed to give its nod for the release of Rs 365.27 crore for six projects in Madhya Pradesh, however, proposals related to these projects in Madhya Pradesh were not taken up, instead it was deferred till another meeting, Gaur said.