Self-styled godman, Baba Virendra Dev Dixit of Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidyalaya was in the news recently for alleged sexual exploitation of minors and women. It was shocking to find a picture claiming to be that of Union Minister Smriti Irani seeking blessings of Dixit. The said picture was tweeted by Dr Anand Rai, a whistleblower in the Vyapam Scam with a suggestive caption “इन्हें भी कोई देख ले… आदर्श सरकार के आदर्श मंत्री दिल्ली की ‘आध्यात्मिक यौन यूनिवर्सिटी’ के बलात्कारी बाबा वीरेन्द्र देव दीक्षित के आश्रम में ‘प्रसाद’ लेने गयी थी स्मृति ईरानी।“ (Someone look at her too… An ideal minister of an ideal government, Smriti Irani, went to rapist Baba Virendra Dev Dixit’s ‘Modern Sex University’ ashram to take “Prasad” from him). In this offensive allegation, the word “Prasad” is in quotes to draw attention to what the tweet could be alluding to. Rai’s tweet has been retweeted over 2400 times.
इन्हें भी कोई देख ले…
आदर्श सरकार के आदर्श मंत्री
दिल्ली की ‘आध्यात्मिक यौन यूनिवर्सिटी’ के बलात्कारी बाबा वीरेन्द्र देव दीक्षित के आश्रम में ‘प्रसाद’ लेने गयी थी स्मृति ईरानी। pic.twitter.com/YJLFMBN7PP— Dr. Anand Rai (@anandrai177) December 23, 2017
Not only is Rai’s allegation highly insulting, it is also an outright lie. Even though BJP leaders have been photographed in the past with several self-styled godmen who have been on the wrong side of the law, like Asaram Bapu, Baba Ram Rahim and Radhey Maa, in this particular case it is not true. The image was originally published in India Today as that of Irani’s meeting with a Rajasthan based astrologer, Pandit Nathulal Vyas in 2014. Not only has Rai posted a picture of the astrologer alleging that it is of a rapist but also suggested that Irani visited his ashram for “Prasad”.
Rai has not deleted his offensive tweet even after several Twitter users have pointed out his blatant lie to him.
This is not the first time that Rai has been called out for spreading fake news. Rai had tweeted a photoshopped picture of Yogi Adityanath drinking cow urine with the caption, “सही मायने में गोभक्त है योगी”. The tweet has now been deleted.
In June, he tweeted a picture of a terrorist killed by CRPF in J&K as that of a young son of a farmer from Mandsaur shot dead by the government.
Rai also claimed that convicted Dera chief, Baba Ram Rahim was airlifted in a helicopter owned by Gautam Adani. Alt news had busted this news but it is yet to be deleted by Rai.
Rapist Baba was airlifted in Modi’s favorite AW139 helicopter owned by Gautam Adani. pic.twitter.com/8nBAeCzYZq
— Dr. Anand Rai (@anandrai177) August 26, 2017
In August, Rai had announced the death of Dilip Kumar, which he quickly deleted on learning that it is fake news.
We see from the cross section of tweets above that while some like the one about Dilip Kumar could be a genuine mistake, others are not so innocent. Rai may have done stellar work in exposing Vyapam scam but he is harming his own credibility if he continues with such irresponsible online behaviour.
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