BJP responds to Karnal Mayor’s visit to Ram Rahim's event; ‘Party doesn’t support…’

Haryana's Karnal Mayor Renu Bala Gupta on Wednesday stirred controversy after she attended rape and murder convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's virtual Satsang. When Republic TV confronted her, the Karnal Mayor even defended her visit to Ram Rahim’s Satsang and said that the city's people and her deputy mayor had called her to attend the event. Following the row, BJP leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister cleared BJP’s stand on the matter and said that the saffron party does not support any criminal and doesn’t stand in her favour. 

Speaking to Republic TV, former J&K Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta said, “The Karnal Mayor Renu Bala Gupta had clarified her visit to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's virtual Satsang calling it a personal matter. She has also said that she respects the court of law. I would say that it’s her personal matter of choice. However, BJP does not support any criminal and doesn’t stand in her favour.” 

The BJP leader’s comments came after big leaders of BJP including Karnal Municipal Corporation Mayor Renu Bala Gupta, district president Yogendra Rana, Karnal Deputy Mayor Naveen Kumar and senior Deputy Mayor Rajesh participated in rapist Ram Rahim's online Satsang in the city. 

Karnal Mayor defends her visit to rapist Ram Rahim's event

Earlier in the morning, when Republic confronted Haryana's Karnal Mayor Renu Bala Gupta after she attended rape and murder convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's virtual Satsang on Wednesday. Rather than saying her visit was wrong, the Karnal Mayor defended it, saying that the city's people and her deputy mayor had called her to attend the event.

When Republic confronted her on whether she know that Ram Rahim Singh is a convict in murder and rape cases, Karnal Mayor Renu Bala Gupta replied saying, “Yes”. She further added, “My deputy Mayor and his mother called me. I also got calls from other people because people from the city have joined the event. In order to connect with the sentiment of the city’s people, I went there.”

Further adding she said, “I was not alone there. Many people from the city were there and I went with them. There was no political motive behind it. People of Karnal invite me to many social works, even if it’s religious, or related to the city, I go there.”