Bhopal mayor removes bus stand hoarding bearing Asaram's name

Following Asaram's conviction in a rape case and a demand that the places named after him be rechristened, the Bhopal Municipal Corporation today removed a hoarding from a bus stand bearing the name of the controversial self-styled godman.

Earlier in the day, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had promised "appropriate action" when activists demanded renaming of the landmarks named after Asaram.

"No one is above the Constitution, the law, and public sentiments. It is a country where the name of Aurangzeb Road has also been changed. Soon, we will take appropriate action on this matter too," Chouhan tweeted.

The bus stand and a road crossing, both located close to Asaram's ashram near the Raja Bhoj Airport on the city outskirts, had been named after the self-styled godman.

Shortly after the chief minister's tweet, Bhopal Mayor Alok Sharma himself went to the bus stand and removed the board bearing Asaram's name.

"All places named after Asaram in the city will be renamed. I have removed the board from the bus stand. The new names of the bus stand and the intersection will be decided later," Sharma said.

Activist Rachna Dhingra, who works for the survivors of the 1984 Union Carbide disaster, made the demand of renaming them in a video posted on social media.

"I am asking the chief minister who claims to be a big proponent and protector of girls' rights that the names of this crossing and bus stand be changed," she said.

Another activist, Akshay Hunka, tagged the chief minister in his tweet and asked to spell out the government's stand on Dhingra's demand.

Replying to it, Chouhan assured that appropriate action would be taken.

A court in Rajasthan today sentenced Asaram to life in jail for raping a minor girl.