AMN /Allahabad
All-India Akhara Parishad, the supreme governing body of ‘Akharas’ (distinct groups of saints and seers) in the country, today in its special meeting declared 14 babas (priests) as fake. They include two jailed on rape charges — Gurmeet Ram Rahim and Asaram Bapu.
The Parishad also declared the controversial Sukhvinder Kaur alias Radhe Maa and Swami Aseemanand, who was jailed for terror act but now out on bail, fake.
The Parishad announced Nirmal Baba as fake too.
Here is the list of fake babas
फर्जी बाबाओं की सूची इस प्रकार है- 1. आसाराम बापू उर्फ आशुमल शिरमलानी, 2. सुखबिंदर कौर उर्फ राधे मां, 3. सच्चिदानंद गिरि उर्फ सचिन दत्ता, 4. गुरमीत राम रहीम सिंह, 5. ओमबाबा उर्फ विवेकानंद झा, 6. निर्मल बाबा उर्फ निर्मलजीत सिंह, 7. इच्छाधारी भीमानंद उर्फ शिवमूर्ति द्विवेदी, 8. स्वामी असीमानंद, 9. ओम नम: शिवाय बाबा, 10. नारायण साईं, 11. रामपाल, 12. आचार्य कुशमुनि, 13.वृहस्पति गिरी और 14.मलखान सिंह।
The special meeting of the Akhara Parishad was attended by 26 saints and sadhus representing 13 Akharas at Baghbabari Math. The Parishad also announced that they will boycott these 14 fake saints and have appealed to the masses not to get attached to these fake babas.
The move by the top body of Hindu religious leaders was prompted by the recent rape conviction and jailing of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the head of Dera Sacha Sauda, a quasi- religious body based in Sirsa in Haryana.
“The Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad feels that the title of ‘sant’ is being misused so it has decided to put in place a mechanism to award this title,” Mr Jain said.
The title will be given after evaluating and examining an individual. “The Akhara Parishad will also observe lifestyle of individuals before conferring this title on them,” he added. A senior functionary of the Akhara Parishad said that they had also decided that a saint cannot hold cash or have any assets in his name.
However Supporters of all these 14 Sadhus and Baba have denounced the list released by the Akhil Bharti Akhara Parishad and questioned the credibility of the organisation. they claimed that their Babas are working for the welfare of the people
