Religious preacher Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shashtri of Bageshwar Dham Sarkar visited Udaipur recently for a Dharmasabha is in trouble. As the Congress-led Rajasthan government filed two cases against Shashtri. On March 23, while addressing the crowd at Gandhi ground, Shashtri asked the people to install saffron flags in place of green flags installed at the Kumbhalgarh fort of Rajasthan.
The police have considered it an incitement to religious violence. Taking cognizance of his statement, a case was registered at Hathipol police station in the city. Udaipur Superintendent of Police Vikas Sharma said that his statement was provocative and controversial.
Shashtri allegedly said from the stage that, there are as many as a hundred of green flags installed at the Kumbhalgarh fort, there should be saffron flags instead. “Hindus don’t fear, I will make sure that saffron flags are installed at the fort. Do you want the saffron flag to be installed there?”, asked Shashtri.
He also recalled the Kanhaiya Lal murder incident who was killed by Islamists for Blasphemy, following the Nupur Sharma fiasco. He added, ‘they can kill one Kanhaiya, now we have a Kanhaiya at every Hindu house’.
At this event, Shashatri was joined by famous religious preacher Devkinandan Thakur.
The Udaipur police officials said Pandit Dhirendra Shastri used inflammatory words which heightened disputes between communities. After this statement, some youths tried to create a disturbance at Kumbhalgarh Fort on the night of March 23 and five of them have been arrested. A case has been registered against all of them at Kelwada police station.
In the same case, an FIR has been registered against Shashtri at the Kelwada police station of the Rajsamund district of Rajasthan. Earlier an FIR was lodged at the Hathipol police station.
Shashtri is known for his ‘Divya Darbar’ (Divine court) which originated from the Balaji Hanuman temple premise located in the Chhatarpur District of Madhya Pradesh. Now he organises such Darbars all across the country. In this, he tells the solution to the problems of commoners or people dealing with ailments. The same temple is referred to as the ‘Bageshwar Dham’ by the devotees.
Earlier this month he asked Hindus to bring three-four children into the world and send two of them in the service of Bhagwan Ram. He further said, ideally a couple should have two kids only (Bacche do hi acche). Even if a Hindu couple has two children, they must send one to the service of Ram Bhagwan.
