Manohar Lal Khattar declined to comment on the controversy over Dera chief's parole. (File)
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar declined to comment on the controversy over Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim's parole. Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Mr Khattar said, "Jails have their own rules. It would not be right for me to comment on it".
The parole of the Dera chief- serving a 20-year jail term for rape and murder- ahead of panchayat elections in BJP-ruled Haryana has created a huge controversy.
Since his release earlier this month, Ram Rahim has held online satsangs (religious gatherings) attended by multiple BJP leaders. He has also recorded a music video ahead of Diwali that is racking up numbers on YouTube.
The Congress has questioned the grant of parole, pointing to the panchayat elections and the by-poll for Adampur assembly seat which will be held alongside. Gurmeet Ram Rahim has a huge following in Haryana which has not been dented by his conviction.
"Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim was given 40 days parole in view of the by-election in Adampur. Why doesn't BJP make Ram Rahim contest the election so that he doesn't have to take secret votes?" tweeted senior state Congress leader Udit Raj.
Trinamool Congress's Mahua Moitra also hit out at the BJP after Ram Rahim's parole. "What next- BJP declaring "Rapists' Day" as a national holiday? Rape convict Ram Rahim gets parole again, hosts satsang attended by host of BJP Haryana leaders," she tweeted.
Haryana Deputy Speaker Ranbir Gangwa, who was present in the sect's gathering in Hisar on Wednesday said he sees nothing wrong in attending to the online discourse of the dera chief.
"Since my birth, I am connected with this dera. In my village, the dera exists since 1960. Who follows that belief is his choice, why should anyone have an issue with that," he was quoted as saying by nws agency Press Trust of India.
Asked about the timing of the Dera chief's parole, Mr Gangwa said, "If he has been given parole against jail manual, then one can raise an objection. But parole to any prisoner is his legitimate right and rules have been framed for that".
"He has been given parole even when there were no polls, so I don't see any issue here," Mr Gangwa said.
Earlier, the Dera chief was released on a month-long parole in June- ahead of elections to 46 civic bodies. In February, ahead of the Punjab assembly elections, he was given three weeks' furlough.