Godman whose genitals were cut off has strong links with Hindu Aikya Vedi, an organisation close to the Sangh

The Kerala ‘Godman’ whose genitals were cut off by a 23-year old girl, to put an end to eight long years of sexual exploitation, is a associate of Hindu Aikya Vedi, an organisation that is considered close to the Sangh. The Hindu Aikya Vedi’s blog carries a report and photographs from 2010, when the accused Ganeshananda Theerthapada Swami along with the current Kerala BJP Chief Kummanam Rajsekharan and other swamis went to meet the then Chief Minister to submit a memorandum.

The memorandum demanded the withdrawal of the Government’s order to takeover the administration of ashrams, matt’s and temples in North Kerala. In 2013, he was also the convenor of a spiritual event organised by the Aranmula Paithruka Grama Karmasamithi, an organisation of which the Kerala BJP Chief is the patron.

According to the Police, the Swami has been a frequent visitor to the house for the past many years, ever since he came into contact with the family with promises to cure the girl’s father’s illness through prayers and mantra. As per the 23-year old girl’s statement to the Police, the Godman has been sexually assaulting her ever since she was in Class 10.

On Friday night at 11.30 p.m., he allegedly barged into her room, after everyone else in the home had slept and demanded sexual favours while threatening her with a knife. Later, she managed to get hold of the knife and cut off his genitals. She soon ran out and called up the police control room to inform them of the happenings. The Godman was brought to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital with genitals badly damaged.

The civil society and even the Kerala Chief Minister came out in support of the girl. In television discussions, the Hindu Aikya Vedi leaders distanced themselves from the Godman. The BJP in Kerala tries to create an impression that it is not connected to organisations like Hindu Aikya Vedi, known for a more extreme form of Hindutva. The link between the two organisations became clear recently with the appointment of the new BJP Chief Kummanam Rajasekharan, who was till that point serving as the State General Secretary of the Hindu Aikya Vedi. Rajasekharan also used to be a full-time RSS Pracharak.

A few Hindutva websites even tried to pass off stories claiming that he had stopped being a swami and had become a “comrade”.

Soon after the incident came to light, old news reports of the Swami’s public appearances and speeches were shared across social media. In one of his speeches, he says,”Spirituality has to be inculcated in children. This should be done not through books, but through spiritual leaders.”

In one of the speeches made on December 31, 2016, he is quoted as saying that only those who are able to see the ‘mother’ in every being will be able to achieve salvation.