ALLAHABAD: The Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP), the apex regulatory body for India's 13 'akharas' (groups of ascetics), declared 14 controversial godmen and women fake at a meeting on Sunday.Those named include Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh , recently convicted of rape, Asaram Bapu, who also faces allegations of rape, and Sukhvinder Kaur alias Radhe Maa, Nirmal Baba and Rampal Almost all the 14 are under investigation for different crimes. The parishad has also refused to accept any 'katha vachak' (narrator of religious text, stories) as a 'saint'.In the first-of-its-kind meet, the parishad heads expressed regret that people known as "saints" were tarnishing the image of the community and society. Former RSS member Aseemanand, an accused in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast, was declared a " fake saint " as well." Builder Baba Sachchinand Giri alias Sachin Dutta, Delhi-based theft-accused Ombaba alias Vivekanand Jha, Ichchhadhari Bheemanand alias Shivmurti Dwivedi, Om Namah Shivay Baba, Asaram's son Narayan Sai, Allahabad-based Kushmuni, Brihaspati Giri and Malkhan Giri were also named in the list of those bringing a bad name to the saint community," ABAP president Narendra Giri told TOI.He added, "As per the Hindu way of life, only followers of the age-old tradition of Sanyasi, Nath, Vaishnav, Shaiv, Udasin, Nirmal and Gurunanak sects are saints." Apart from these, no self-proclaimed godman or godwoman should be considered a saint as they are neither part of any akhara, nor ordained, he said.

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