It is ironic that while India is outraged at sexual assaults on women, a section of Indians are protesting equally strongly against the arrest of someone accused of the same crime.

The fact that the ‘someone’ is a spiritual leader makes all the difference. In a country where organised religion is a make-or-break factor, the charge against Asaram Bapu is a headline-grabber for various reasons. He himself has termed the accusations a political plot, while his supporters have turned violent in hs defence -- violence seems to be the default response to any opposing viewpoint.