FILE photo: Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh
The BJP has a pledge of support for Saturday's Delhi elections from the Dera Sacha Sauda, a sect in neighbouring Haryana headed by the controversial Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
"We have 20 lakh followers in Delhi, at least 10 lakh voters spread across the 70 Delhi constituencies. We have spread the message across Delhi to support BJP candidates," said Aman Insaan, a Dera leader said.
The Dera Sacha Sauda has made headlines recently with its motorbike-riding 47-year-old chief featuring in a film 'MSG: Messenger of God' that was controversially cleared for release by a tribunal, prompting members of India's censor board to resign in protest that their red flag to film was ignored.
"Now we know why the censor board was unceremoniously packed off in the case of MSG movie," tweeted Aam Aadmi Party leader Yogendra Yadav.
In Kerala to promote his film, Ram Rahim said, "The BJP has nothing to do with clearing our film." The BJP, he said, had won his Dera's support by signing "affidavits" on several social issues raised by him. "No one from AAP came forward," Ram Rahim said.
In the Haryana elections a few months ago too the Dera had announced support for the BJP, which won power in the state for the first time on its own.
But in Delhi, the BJP is contesting the elections in alliance with the Akali Dal, which has been in the forefront of massive protests against Ram Rahim's film. Sikh groups allege it "glorifies" the Dera leader who has several criminal cases against him. They have also alleged that Ram Rahim's dialogues in the trailers of the film are provocative and appear to challenge Sikhs.
The film, which is yet to release, has been banned in Punjab, where the BJP participates in a government led by the Akali Dal.
Manjeet Singh, a Delhi leader of the Akali Dal was dismissive. "The Dera is not our issue. We will win all the four seats and will get 100 per cent results," he said.
Four Akali Dal candidates are contesting the Delhi elections, three of them under the BJP's symbol.