E-Paper
‘If Hinduism is attacked…’: Dhirendra Shastri's Bihar speech sparks row, Congress reacts
Dhirendra Shastri clarified that he does not have any political affiliations and supports all the parties that have Hindus.
Self-styled godman Dhirendra Shastri, currently in Bihar for the Sanatan Mahakumbh, declared that his sole dream is a "Bhagwa-e-Hind" (saffron India). He asserted that any attack on the Hindu religion would be met with a strong response from him.
"My only dream is Bhagwa-e-Hind. If my religion is attacked, I will retaliate, as I am Hindu and I talk only about Hindutva,” he said.
Addressing people at the Sanatan Mahakumbh, Dhirendra Shastri also urged people to rise above caste lines and unite. He said he is not against any religion, be it Islam or Christianity, but he has a problem with those Hindu who divide people within the religion on the basis of caste.
He also used an analogy to make the point that all Hindus are the same and should not fight with each other. “If a father has four kids, will any one of them be unloved? All of the kids will be beloved. We are all Hindus, we are all equals, we should not fight amongst ourselves. We’re not here for Rajneeti (politics), we’re here for Ramneeti,” he said.
Dhirendra Shastri also clarified that he does not have any political affiliations and supports all the parties that have Hindus. In another big announcement, he said that after Bihar state assembly polls are done, he will do a padyatra in the state, which will only be for Hindus and not politics.
State polls in Bihar are scheduled for later this year.
JD(U), Congress responds
Reacting to Dhirendra Shastri’s remarks, Janata Dal (United) spokesperson Manish Kumar said that he is a Baba and is not responsible for the functioning of the country. “The country is run by baba, it is run by Bahasaheb’s constitution.”
Kumar added that the beauty of India lies in its diversity and said that no religion should be criticised.
“We must remember that this is India. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians are all brothers. Our diversity is the true beauty of India. All religions deserve respect. Such statements are meaningless," he told PTI.
“You can promote your own religion, but don’t criticise any other religion,” he added.
Congress leader Rajesh Rathaur also reacted to Shastri’s remarks and said that Prime Minister Modi also talks about caste.
“India has always been a country of saints, and they have always shown us the way. However, we don't remember those who haven't shown us the correct path. Baba Bageshwar says he will protest against those who talk about caste. If that's the case, then even the Prime Minister talks about caste,” he told PTI.
He added that this means that Dhirendra Shastri has questioned the prime minister for talking about caste.
