BJP leaders from Haryana are among those attending the online discourses of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, a rape convict out on parole before elections in the state.

Gurmeet, 55, who is serving a 20-year jail term for raping two disciples, is holding online “satsangs” from the Dera’s Barnawa ashram in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat.

His parole has once again coincided with polls in the region, the third such instance this year. Haryana will be witnessing panchayat elections and a bypoll to the Adampur Assembly seat next month.

The Sirsa Dera has a large number of followers in Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Haryana deputy Speaker Ranbir Gangwa was present at a big gathering of the sect’s followers in Hisar on Wednesday to listen to an online discourse, during which he talked about his family’s association with the Sirsa Dera.

Earlier on Tuesday, Karnal mayor Renu Bala had joined Gurmeet’s online “satsang” along with some other BJP leaders.

After his release on a 40-day parole on October 14, the Dera chief went to the Barnawa ashram from Rohtak’s Sunaria jail where he was lodged.

Speaking with Gurmeet during the online discourse, Gangwa said he was happy with the blessings of the Dera chief and hoped that one day Gurmeet would address them face-to-face. “You should always give your blessings,” said Gangwa.

Bala addressed Gurmeet as “Pitaji” and said his blessings should always be with them. “In future too, you should come to Karnal and once again give a message of ‘swachhta’ and bless us,” she is heard saying in a video.