Rape convict godman Asaram’s photo worshipped at Surat’s new civil hospital, sparks outrage

A major controversy has erupted after a video went viral showing people performing aarti (ritual worship) before  a photo of self-styled godman Asaram inside Surat’s new civil hospital. The godman is serving a life sentence for rape. 

The incident took place near the main gate of the hospital’s Stem Cell building. Once the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) was alerted, the ritual was immediately stopped, but the viral video brought the matter to public attention, triggering widespread outrage over such blind devotion inside a government hospital.

Before the distribution of fruit to patients, worship was conducted in the presence of Dr Jigisha Patadiya from the hospital’s paediatric department, along with nursing staff and security guards. Normally, Ganesh puja or Satyanarayan katha are organised for the speedy recovery of patients. However, the inclusion of Asaram’s photo for worship drew sharp criticism from the public.

The viral video shows Dr Patadiya, nurses, and security guards participating in the ceremony. Following the uproar, hospital authorities faced questions about the involvement of staff.

Resident Medical Officer (RMO) Dr Ketan Nayak stated that staff had only been granted permission for fruit distribution after a quality check and that the aarti was not authorised. He explained that security personnel informed officials about the Asaram photo during the event, prompting immediate action to stop the ritual and remove the photo.