On the night of June 20, a significant confrontation occurred between Hanumangarhi’s chief mahant, Rajudas, and District Magistrate (DM) Nitish Kumar in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. According to media reports, this altercation took place during a review meeting to analyse the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) recent electoral loss in the Faizabad constituency.
The meeting, held at the Saryu Guest House at 11 PM, was attended by BJP legislators, the mayor, and officials, including two state government ministers, Surya Pratap Shahi and Jaiveer Singh. DM Nitish Kumar and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajkaran Nayyar were also present.
Mahant Rajudas had arrived to provide his feedback on the party’s defeat. As he began criticising the UP administration, DM Kumar reportedly became upset, leading to a heated exchange. The DM refused to sit next to Mahant Rajudas, which escalated the situation into a physical altercation.
Following the confrontation, the DM immediately withdrew the gunner assigned to Mahant Rajudas’s security. Rajudas claimed that this action compromised his safety and accused the administration of endangering him. He stated that if any incident occurred, the administration would be fully responsible.
Mahant Rajudas alleged that the only gunner assigned to him was called back from the meeting site.
Previously, after the BJP’s loss, Mahant Rajudas had released a video criticising district officials, which had already caused tension. Originally, Rajudas had three gunners, but two were withdrawn after the Lok Sabha elections, and the last one was removed on Thursday night.
Expressing his frustration, Mahant Rajudas emphasised that he is a devoted supporter of Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and people are displeased by this. He argued that in a democracy, officials should not take offence when grievances are voiced. Despite the removal of his security, Mahant Rajudas declared that he would continue to be the voice of the people and would not be silenced.
This altercation occurred in the context of the BJP’s recent electoral defeat, where their candidate and two-time Faizabad MP, Lallu Singh, lost to the Samajwadi Party’s Awadhesh Prasad by a margin of over 54,000 votes. This loss was particularly surprising given the recent inauguration of the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya. The BJP has since been investigating the reasons behind this unexpected defeat.
