Mahua Moitra on rape convict Ram Rahim's Diwali music video: ‘high time law is…’

Rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim, out on parole, has courted another controversy by releasing a music video on the occasion of Diwali. After the music video titled ‘Sadi Nit Diwali’ was released on his YouTube channel Saint MSG, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra called for a codified parole legislation like in the US and Britain. She stressed that parole cannot “solely be left to biased state govt officials on pick and choose basis.”

“Rahim puts out music video while out on parole. Unlike US & UK, India lacks codified parole legislation. Parole cannot solely be left to biased state govt officials on pick & choose basis. High time law is changed,” Moitra said in a tweet.

The description of the video, released on Dera chief's official YouTube channel Saint MSG, credits Ram Rahim with music, lyrics, singing, composition, and direction. Within two days, the video has garnered more than five million views and his followers have been promoting the song on social media platforms.

The video features clips of him accompanying his two mentors Shah Satnam and Shah Mastana.

"People celebrate Diwali on one day, but thanks to you (Satnam and Mastana) every day is Diwali for us," the lyrics say.

The dera chief, who is serving a 20-year jail for raping his two disciples, is out on parole. The timing of parole has drawn criticism as it coincided with some polls in the region, the third such instance in the current year. Haryana will be witnessing panchayat elections and the bypolls to the Adampur Assembly seat next month.

He had earlier come out of prison on a month-long parole in June, ahead of the elections to 46 municipalities in Haryana. He was granted three weeks furlough from February 7, barely two weeks before the Punjab Assembly elections.

(With PTI inputs)