Asaram Bapu and his devotees were chanting slogans and refused to sit through the entire flight duration.
Self-styled Hindu godman Asaram Bapu and his brigade of devotees created commotion on a Jet Airways Jodhpur-Delhi flight, chanting slogans and refusing to sit through the entire flight duration, said three passengers who were on board, reproted the Economic Times (ET).
"The flight 9W 2552 was to take off at 11:55 am but got delayed by at least two hours. There were no announcements made although we kept getting messages on our phones," said Dessidre Fleming, one of the passengers told ET.
For a 11:55 pm flight, Asaram arrived on a wheelchair at around 1:30 pm, with heavy protection from a barrage of policemen. Behind him were 10-15 devotees who had merely booked their flight tickets to give him company on the flight. Swati Daga, a public relations consultant told ET, "Immediately after he come, the boarding started. There was no queue. An air hostess screamed an announcement to board the flight."
Daga further stated that one of the passengers said, "Seat belt ki kya zaroorat jab swayam bhagwan hamare saath hain?" (What is the need of wearing a seatbelt when God himself is travelling with us?)
The flight ascended without the air hostesses giving the mandatory safety instructions. Passengers expressed the inconvenience they faced as the the devotees refused to sit during the entire flight and those who sat, did not wear seatbelts. They also complained feeling nauseous and as the flight was operating without proper air-conditioning.
The leader and his devotees caused major ruckus after the flight descended too. Instead of following the queue post landing, Asaram was determined to be escorted by his devotees while deplaning. People ran behind him after they came out leading to a total chaos at the airport.
ET reported that the airport police detained around 20 of Asaram's disciples but they were let off within a few minutes. Asaram Bapu was arrested in August 2013 after a 16-year-old girl accused him of sexually assaulting her at his ashram on the pretext of exorcising her from evil spirits. In December 2013, his son Narayan Sai was also arrested after two sisters accused the father-son duo of raping them in the ashram.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Asaram Bapu")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}