"The government succeeded in bringing him to court and did not want to incite his followers. Failing to produce Ram Rahim could have amounted to contempt of court," he said.He said the government was faced with the need to handle Ram Rahim's fanatical supporters, some of who had threatened self-immolation. Most of the supporters were on foot and had reached Panchkula through small roads and tracks. The state government took a cue from the arrest of another godman, Rampal, and the subsequent violence which took place sometime after the government assumed office. "The government had done its assessment in view of the huge following of Gurmeet not only in Punjab and Haryana but in several other states," said a politician.

Source: Times of India August 26, 2017 20:48 UTC