India And The 'Godmen' Obsession

Nearly five years after he was arrested, Asaram, a self-styled godman with a following that runs into lakhs, was sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a 16-year-old girl whose family brought her to visit his ashram in Jodhpur. The verdict today was delivered inside a Jodhpur jail; authorities decided days ago that taking Asaram to court would risk the 77-year-old's followers from turning violent on the streets. Four states - Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat - were put on high alert. Self-styled controversial godmen like Asaram, Ram Rahim and Nithyananda have criminal cases against them. Today on Live stream, we asked are we as a society susceptible to 'godmen'? Can the nexus between politicians and 'godmen' be broken?