Panaji, March 21 (IANS) Shantaram Naik, Congress MP from Goa, has “appealed to all the political leaders” to refrain from meeting ’sadhus’ and ‘babas’ in the interest of the state and its people.
The Rajya Sabha member said in a statement Sunday: “Several politicians, irrespective of political affiliations, visit such people in the hope of finding solutions to their political problems.”

Naik, who demanded a ban on Hindu right-wing outfit Sanatan Sanstha whose members are accused of conspiring to explode low intensity bomb blasts in Goa last Diwali, has also appealed to the youth in Goa to track down bogus and fake ’sadhus’ and ‘babas’ with criminal records in Goa.

“Goa has become a fertile land for such criminal elements to operate in the guise of ’sadhus’ and ‘babas’ who misguide visitors and dupe them of funds on one pretext or the other,” he said.

“The country is full of such frauds who have been caught in the past, red-handed, and, in the recent times on videos,” Naik said, referring to the recent sex scandal involving Swami Paramahamsa Nithyananda and a leading south Indian actress.