The Gautam Budh Nagar district administration has appointed a police inspector to investigate the antecedents of a newly appointed priest at Bisada temple, Sadhvi Harsidhi Giri, who stoked controversy with an announcement that she would “purify” the communally-sensitive village by sprinkling cow urine and Ganga water across it.
The Sadhvi mysteriously disappeared on Tuesday morning without informing the villagers.
The Sadhvi had said, “The village needs purification because peace here has been disturbed after (Mohammad) Ikhlaq was killed. Purification process will inspire villagers to make a new beginning. It will help them stay away from negative thinking.”
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But a refusal from the authorities and a lack of enthusiasm from the villagers prompted her to put the ritual on hold. The district administration has deployed a posse of policemen at the village to prevent any flare-up.
“The police have collected many crucial details about Sadhvi Giri, who has tried to create controversies by issuing statements in the media... Investigations will reveal her clear motive behind coming to Bisada and creating controversy,” said NP Singh, district magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar.
On Tuesday morning, a 12x12 feet room provided to the Sadhvi in Bisada’s Shiva temple outside the village was locked. Workers constructing a new room at the temple said she locked her room in the morning and left without leaving a message. Her mobile remained switched off throughout the day.
{{/usCountry}}On Tuesday morning, a 12x12 feet room provided to the Sadhvi in Bisada’s Shiva temple outside the village was locked. Workers constructing a new room at the temple said she locked her room in the morning and left without leaving a message. Her mobile remained switched off throughout the day.
{{/usCountry}}The Sadhvi had claimed that before coming to Bisada, she had served as a priest at a Shiva temple near ITO. However, a Hindustan Times investigation on Tuesday found that she had not worked as a priest at any of the four temples located in and around ITO.