Apex body of sadhus list 14 fake saints maligning Sanatan Dharma

In an offensive against self-styled godmen tarnishing the image of holy men through their actions, the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) released its list of fake saints on Sunday.

ABAP is the umbrella organisation of 13 recognised akharas or monastic orders with over 6 lakh sanyasis, including Naga sadhus.

After a brief meeting at Math Baghambari Gaddi in Allahpur here, head of the Parishad Mahant Narendra Giri released a list of 14 godmen and said they were maligning the image of Sanatan Dharma and saints.

The godmen who figure on the list include Asaram Bapu aka Asumal Sirumalani and his son Narayan Sai, Sukhbinder Kaur aka Radhe Maa, Sachchidanand Giri aka Sachin Datta, Gurmeet Singh of Dera Sacha Sauda, Om Baba aka Vivekanand Jha, Nirmal Baba aka Nirmaljeet Singh, Ichchdhari Bhimanand aka Shivmurti Dwivedi, Swami Asimanand, Om Namah Shivay Baba, Rampal, Acharya Kushmuni, Brahaspati Giri and Malkhan Singh.

Asaram Bapu and Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh are in jail under charges of rape.

Giri said ABAP would release another list of 28 fake godmen after Diwali.

On behalf of ABAP, Giri appealed to one and all to boycott these so-called spiritual gurus in the interest of Sanatan Dharma.

A day before the release of the list, Mahant Giri had lodged an FIR at Daraganj police station in Allahabad claiming that he had received death threats thrice from separate phone numbers. He said the callers warned him of dire consequences if ABAP passed any resolution against Asaram Bapu.