Why does Dera chief have so many followers

There are currently around 104 welfare schemes that are being run by him.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh the leader of the Dera Sacha Sauda faces rape charges. This big taint on him has not deterred lakhs of his followers to take to the streets and ensure a complete lockdown in Haryana and Punjab.

It is not the first time that he has been mired in controversy. However his following has only risen and not come down even by a percentage. So what makes this man to be followed by such a large number of people. Why does he has millions of followers.

Punjab and Haryana are two states which have immense caste divisions. The Dera chief promises a caste free society. He stresses on equality and humility. This has attracted millions of people especially from the lower strata of society. Moreover his subsidised food programme is a major hit with the people. He also runs a subsidised medicine programme which has made him even more popular.

There are currently around 104 welfare schemes that are being run by him. These include de-addition programmes, diabetes camps and cardiac clinics for which he has won 13 Guinness awards. The Dera chief claims that in his de-addiction camps at least 5 crore people in Punjab had quit drugs.

OneIndia News