Ram Rahim’s parole

If a poll comes, can Ram Rahim’s parole be far behind? The Dera Sacha Sauda chief has been released from jail after being granted a 30-day parole — just a week before the Delhi Assembly elections. He has been finally allowed to visit his dera in Sirsa; this privilege has been given to him for the first time since he was awarded a 20-year jail sentence in 2017 for raping two of his disciples. It is not uncommon for the dera head, who continues to wield influence in the region, to be freed on parole or furlough whenever Punjab, Haryana or neighbouring states go to the polls. He was granted a 20-day parole in October last year ahead of the Haryana Assembly elections. The move had triggered allegations that the ruling BJP was pulling out all the stops to dent the Congress’ prospects. And we all know which party had the last laugh.

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Ram Rahim’s advocate has rightly said that every prisoner has the legal right to apply for parole. However, the devil is in the timing. The dera head is known for his covert ways of telling his supporters whom they should vote for. He might be a convict in rape and murder cases, but there is no dearth of his followers who are convinced that he has been framed.

The BJP has been out of power in Delhi for the past 26 years. Looking to turn the tables on AAP at long last, the saffron party is going the whole hog in wooing voters. Ram Rahim can do his bit by working behind the scenes. His repeated paroles and furloughs have invited criticism from political and religious leaders of Punjab, where he continues to be reviled for his alleged role in sacrilege incidents. But Punjab is not a priority in the BJP’s current scheme of things. The party has no qualms about antagonising Sikhs because Ram Rahim’s release holds the promise of electoral gains in Delhi.