Day before HC hearing, DJJS plays Ramdev card

Nurmahal (Jalandhar): Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthaan (DJJS) has found a supporter in yoga guru Ramdev. Just a day before hearing in the Punjab and Haryana high court on appeals pertaining to cremation of its founder Ashutosh Maharaj, who died a year ago and his body is kept in a freezer, DJJS, in its monthly 'bhandara' on Sunday, played a video recording of Ramdev backing the dera's stand.
Talking about old Indian traditions, Ramdev's message said it was spiritual and fundamental right of the followers of the sansthaan to protect the samadhi of its founder. The yoga guru also showered praises on the dera for its social welfare projects.
The DJJS founder had died on January 28 last year. Though he was declared "clinically dead", the DJJS management claimed that he was in samadhi. His body has since been kept in a freezer.
In a written statement, DJJS claimed that around 65,000 followers participated in the 'bhandara'. However, police sources said the number was much less.
The state intelligence officials said that the gathering was around half of the turnout of December 14, when the officials had put the headcount between 20,000 to 25,000 even as the dera had said that it was over 70,000.
DJJS in its appeal has challenged the decision of a single judge bench of the HC which said the dera chief should be cremated. Another appeal filed by Dalip Jha, who claims to be the Baba's son, has prayed that his DNA test should be conducted to confirm his assertion and give him rights to cremate the body. However, the dera has been refusing to accept that Dalip Jha was Ashutosh Maharaj's son. The high court on December 15 had stayed the order to cremate the body.