The outspoken Haryana Minister Anil Vij on Friday justified seeking votes from the controversial Dera Sacha Sauda and its disgraced chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, saying during elections they go from house to house to seek votes and no one is a pariah.
The minister, who had been incommunicado after the dera violence incident, on Friday said that during elections, we go house to house requesting people to vote for us. If there is a Dera Sacha Sauda house on the way, then we will go there too, he said.
The statement came amid allegations against the ruling BJP for giving political patronage to rape convict Dera sect head Ram Rahim, in return to his support to the party in 2014 elections.
Vij, who is usually active on social media websites and known for his controversial statements and tweets on almost every issue, refrained from speaking on Dera violence incident and finally, emerged with his controversial statements, on the day of Dera Sacha Sauda sanitation drive.
On giving donation of Rs 50 lakh to Dera Sacha Sauda last year, Health and Sports Minister, while talking to a section of media on Friday said, “I donated money to Dera Sacha Sauda and not to the Baba.”
A year ago, I had gone to participate in a sports programme organised by the Dera where I announced a grant for the promotion of sports. This grant was not given to Gurmeet Ram Rahim but it was given to encourage the sportspersons of Dera, he said.
Defending the huge donation, Vij added that whenever any grant is given to any society or institute, it has to submit the utilization certificate which is examined by the government from time to time.
Interestingly, the outspoken Minister had last year boasted of giving a huge donation to the Dera Sacha Sauda and said, “I cannot give more than this. If I had more money, I would have given it. What is wrong with itIJ They run schools, sports are promoted there.” At that time, the Minister was criticized by several Congress leaders for his huge donation to Dera Sacha Sauda.
Notably, all the games played inside the dera were created by Ram Rahim himself and are not played at national or international level.
last month, Haryana Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma had also given a huge donation of Rs 51 lakh to Dera Sacha Sauda.
The religious sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim was convicted by a special CBI court in a rape case and was awarded a 20-year sentence. The rape convict Ram Rahim had enjoyed the patronage of the BJP as a large number of party leaders were seen paying obeisance to the Dera chief in the past.
In 2014, Dera chief threw its weight behind the BJP, both in the lok Sabha and in the Haryana assembly elections. Support of Ram Rahim augured well for the BJP in both these elections in Haryana.
Inquiry marked into Dera sending 14 bodies to lucknow medical college
Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij has ordered an inquiry into the Dera allegedly sending 14 bodies to a medical college in lucknow. He has asked the Director General, Health Services, to conduct an inquiry at the earliest.
Vij said there had been reports in the media that about 14 bodies having been sent from Dera to a medical college in lucknow. If this was done the formalities should have been completed. The reason for sending the bodies must be ascertained. Orders have been issued to examine the matter and find out facts in this case, said he.