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Sanatan Rakshak Dal state chief held for removal of Sai Baba idols

By, Varanasi
Oct 04, 2024 06:28 AM IST

Sanatan Rakshak Dal state unit president Ajay Sharma was arrested early on Thursday in connection with the removal of the idols of Shirdi Sai Baba from at least 10 temples, including the Bada Ganesh temple in Varanasi.

Sanatan Rakshak Dal state unit president Ajay Sharma was arrested early on Thursday in connection with the removal of the idols of Shirdi Sai Baba from at least 10 temples, including the Bada Ganesh temple in Varanasi.

 (Pic for representation only)
(Pic for representation only)

Sharma has claimed that the worship of Sai Baba is not allowed as per the scriptures and, due to ignorance, people installed his idols in city temples.

A case was registered against Ajay Sharma at Sigra police station of Varanasi under Sections 333, 299, 298, 353(2) and 196 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita based on a complaint filed by Abhishek Kumar, a devotee of Sai Baba, police said.

Besides, members of Sai Baba Devotees Association met Varanasi commissioner of police Mohit Agarwal and submitted a memorandum, demanding security at 72 temples and action against Sharma.

Those who submitted the memorandum include Sai temple Mahant Vinod Kumar Pandey of Sonarpura, R Srivastava of Sant Raghuvar Nagar, Rajneesh Kanaujia from Loha Mandi, Dr Akhilesh Singh from Nadesar, Bablu from Sankatmochan, Geeta Dwivedi from Benipur, Banwari Yadav from Piyari, and Sai devotees Ashutosh Keshari, Munna Chaurasia, Manoj Kumar Gupta, Pandit Akhilesh Tiwari, Samar Ghosh, Pramod Gupta, Vishnu Gautam.

Sai Baba devotees said that the police administration should make arrangements for security guards in the 72 Sai Baba temples of the city, so that the intentions of those who disturb law and order are not fulfilled.

After the memorandum, the group of devotees said that Sai Baba devotees are deeply saddened by such acts.

Earlier, Sai Baba’s idol was removed from Bada Ganesh temple in Varanasi on Sunday. According to the Sanatan Rakshak Dal, Sai Baba’s idol has been removed from 10 temples in Varanasi so far.

Sanatan Rakshak Dal members reached Bada Ganesh temple on Sunday, wrapped Sai Baba’s idol in a cloth and kept it outside the temple premises. Mahant Rammu Guru of Bada Ganesh temple said Sai was being worshipped due to lack of information.

“Keeping in mind the sentiments of the devotees, a campaign is being run to remove Sai’s statue from the temples of the city,” Ajay Sharma said after the action.

Meanwhile, Mahant Shankar Puri of the Annapurna temple said that there is no mention of the worship of Sai Baba anywhere in the scriptures, so the idol installed in the temple is being removed now.

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