New Delhi:
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh today accused the BJP of practicing double standards on crime against women, in an apparent dig at the opposition party over the Asaram Bapu issue.
"Double standards of BJP on crime against women. Death penalty to others but pardon to fake God Men," he said on microblogging site Twitter without directly referring to Asaram Bapu.
Mr Singh's remarks came close on the heels of BJP leader Prabhat Jha defending Asaram Bapu, terming rape charges against him as a "Congress conspiracy".
BJP leader Uma Bharati has also earlier defended Asaram Bapu.
"Rape charge against Asaram Bapu is a well planned Congress conspiracy," Mr Jha had said yesterday, adding that as "polls approach, Congress party gets upset and indulges in all sorts of political conspiracies against its opponent".
Mr Singh had said yesterday that Asaram Bapu, who was booked on charges of forcing a 16-year-old girl to take part in an act of unnatural sex at a Jodhpur ashram a week ago, should present himself before the Jodhpur Police and help in the investigation.
"In any complaint by a woman or a girl, the onus of proving someone innocent, the burden of proof lies on the accused. So instead of running away from investigation, Asaram Bapu should present himself before the Jodhpur Police and help in the investigation of the complaint against him. This is not the first time that such allegations are made against him," Mr Singh had said.
As per the summons issued on Monday, 72-year-old Asaram has to appear before the Jodhpur Police for questioning within four days.
He has sought more time from Jodhpur Police for appearing before it in connection with sexual assault charges against him, even as he dismissed the allegations as "baseless".