The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has come under heavy criticism after an advertisement featuring the convicted rapist Asaram (real name Asumal Sirumalani Harpalani) was displayed in its metro trains. The ad, promoting “Parents Worship Day,” featured the 83-year-old self-proclaimed godman, who is serving a life sentence for a 2013 rape conviction.
A lawyer, who goes by ‘The Legal Man’ on X (formerly Twitter), was among the first to raise the alarm. He posted images of the controversial ads, questioning how the DMRC could allow the promotion of a known criminal in public spaces. In his viral post, the lawyer called the ad “highly shameful,” pointing out that Asaram, a convicted rapist, should not be given such a platform.
“Shame @OfficialDMRC. How can Delhi Metro allow a criminal who is convicted under RAPE CHARGES, and is currently serving a sentence, to have his posters and images inside the metro? Highly shameful act by #delhimetro,” the lawyer wrote.
The post quickly gained popularity on social media, with many users expressing outrage at the advertisement. The backlash prompted the DMRC to respond, assuring the public that immediate steps would be taken to remove the said ad. “DMRC has issued immediate instructions to the licensee to get these advertisements removed from the Metro premises at the earliest,” the corporation said in a statement.
“The process of removal will begin tonight, but it may take some time for the ads to be fully cleared from the system,” DMRC added.
Social media users continued to criticize the Delhi Metro for what they saw as a serious lapse in judgment. “Shameful beyond words. The officers who authorized this need to be investigated, as no one in their right mind would approve such an installation,” one user wrote.
“How did this even get approved in the first place? It seems like DMRC is so desperate for money,” said another. A third commenter noted, “This shows a complete lack of review and verification before ads are displayed. It’s a careless process, and the system should be ashamed.”
Asaram, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2018 for raping a 16-year-old girl at his ashram in 2013, was also convicted in January 2023 for another rape incident involving a woman at his Gandhinagar ashram.