The All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) has demanded that security be provided to the two original complainants in the case against the Dera Sacha Sauda chief, who was convicted of rape by a CBI court.
The AIDWA, in a press statement, said that in the wake of the wide-spread violence in Punjab and Haryana, the two women should be given adequate security.
"Both the Centre and the Haryana government have failed miserably in anticipating the violence and in maintaining law and order. AIDWA appeals to all for immediate restoration of peace," the statement said.
A special CBI court in Panchkula convicted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh of rape of two sadhvis yesterday, in a case that was registered in 2002.
This verdict has sparked off violence and rioting in Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and parts of Uttar Pradesh, leading to the death of over 30 people and injuries to hundreds.
Congratulating the two women, the AIDWA, the women wing of the CPI(M), said that they had "bravely withstood all pressures, threats and intimidation" which were used to dissuade them from continuing with their struggle.
"The AIDWA has been consistently supporting the victims in their 15-year-long harrowing ordeal. AIDWA demands that the government must give full protection to the victims," the statement said.
Alleging that political parties were in collusion with the Dera chief, the AIDWA said that it was "political patronage" that allowed the self-styled godman to violate laws.
"It is condemnable that various political parties for electoral gains have protected the Dera chief and have deliberately delayed the women's quest for justice," it said.
"It is a matter of record that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had showered praise on the Dera chief to get the votes of his supporters. It is precisely this type of political patronage that has encouraged various so-called godmen to brazenly violate the law of the land with impunity," it added.
The case against the Dera chief was registered on the basis of an anonymous written complaint in 2002 that he had sexually exploited two female followers.
On the basis of the report, a case was registered against him in December 2002 by the CBI on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)