New Delhi/Mumbai [India], Aug 29 (ANI): Lauding the Supreme Court's verdict against Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2002 rape cases and condemning the attack on media and damage to property, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that the Haryana government was ready for the confrontation and it was a calculated risk.

"We were ready even then. But we took a calculated risk because Baba was not behind the bars then. Now Baba is behind the bars. If we had this confrontation before he was taken to court, then situation would have been even graver. To avoid a bigger loss, this loss was allowed with a calculated risk. I agree that it shouldn't have happened with the media personnel. But with lesser destruction, the situation has been brought under control," told Anil Jain, Haryana BJP in charge, to ANI.

Ram Rahim has been slapped imprisonment of 10 years each, making it a total of 20 years of jail term, in connection with the 2002 rape cases.

"The people in the Opposition have no work. As there was no extreme crisis and no disturbance in law and order with which they could accuse us, hence they took up this mode to attack us. They ruled for 10 years, but could not do anything," he added, while giving a reply to the Oppositions targeting the Haryana government.

Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said it was total failure of the incumbent Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and he should resign with immediate effect taking moral responsibility over the whole episode.

Another BJP leader Shaina NC, while speaking on verdict said that it was "justice delayed, not denied," adding that one should stop following religious gurus blindly.

"This is justice delayed, but clearly, not denied. I think for women, who have been fighting relentlessly and based on their courage and conviction, this is a victory of truth and evidence and it also does show you that our government did not interfere in the case. I think it is important to have such landmark judgments because it is a victory over any injustice done to women," the Maharashtra BJP spokesperson told ANI.

"I think it is an eye-opener for all of us, who sometimes blindly follow religious leaders and spiritual gurus, under the guise of believing that they are here to serve humanity, when in this case, it has been proven otherwise," she added.

On Monday, the sentence against rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was declared by a special CBI court.

He has been sentenced to 20 years in prison as he was announced guilty of raping two women in a 2002 case.

Ram Rahim was convicted on charges of rape on August 25 by the Special CBI Court.

The rape case was registered by the CBI in April 2002 against the self-styled god man after allegations of sexual exploitation of two women followers. The then prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had received an anonymous letter from a Dera Sadhvi that she was being raped by Ram Rahim.

Following Ram Rahim's conviction on Friday, his 'bhakts' went on a rampage in Haryana's Panchkula and Sirsa, and Punjab, Haryana and their neighbouring states have, since, been on the edge. (ANI)


This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI