Ram Rahim Granted 20-Day Furlough Ahead of Haryana Elections Amid Political Concerns
Dera chief Ram Rahim granted 20-day furlough ahead of Haryana elections, sparking concerns over his political influence despite strict conditions on his release.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Granted 20-Day Furlough Ahead of Haryana Elections: A Look into the Dera Chief’s Controversial Parole History and Political Influence
In a controversy-ridden move, the Election Commission granted a furlough of 20 days to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the chief of Dera Sacha Sauda, serving a 20-year jail term on two counts of rape and murder. The Haryana elections now seem all the more important and critical for its impact to raise severe political concerns. As is the case with every furlough, strict conditions go with it. Ram Rahim cannot stay in Haryana, and neither can he conduct any political activity or release any statement on social media. This sentence has been given to him while staying in the house of his Bagpath Ashram for this period.
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It is the 11th temporary release of Ram Rahim from jail after his conviction. The fact that the furloughs come just ahead of elections has led people to wonder why these furloughs happen. He, of course, wields immense power in Haryana, especially in districts such as Sirsa, Hisar, and Fatehabad, where his followers, through the Dera organisation, have always been an important determinant of electoral outcomes.
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Others feel that the current parole might go the same way as any previous one, that is, sway the outcome of the polls in Haryana. This is not the first time when his parole release has coincided with the voting. In the past, Dera chief has been granted paroles during crucial polls in municipal, panchayat, by-elections in Haryana and the neighboring states of Punjab and Rajasthan. These sops of furloughs seem quite politictic in nature, considering his popularity in that particular region.
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