Subscribe
Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka welcomed controversial self-styled godman Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, known for his communal remarks against Muslims, to his residence in Hyderabad on Sunday, July 19. Popularly known as Bageshwar Baba, Shastri is the head priest of Bageshwar Dham, located in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur district.
Dhirendra Shastri visited Hyderabad to attend the two-day Hanuman Katha religious programme held in the city's Shamshabad area.
Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka and his family welcomed Shastri with a shawl, a ceremonial aarti and a shower of flowers. The Deputy Chief Minister presented the godman with a picture of Tirupati Balaji and a replica of a traditional bullock cart, while Shastri presented him with a book titled Sadhu Ji Sitaram.
In several speeches over the past few years, the 29-year-old Dhirendra Shastri has advocated for the establishment of a Hindu Rashtra and has drawn criticism from anti-superstition groups for promoting what they describe as blind faith. He has also faced criticism for speeches targeting religious minorities. Notably, his younger brother, Shaligram Garg, was arrested in Madhya Pradesh for allegedly assaulting and opening fire on a farmer in connection with an old land dispute.
Dhirendra Shastri's promotion of ghar wapsi and his politically charged Hindutva rhetoric have made him a polarising figure, earning him both a large following and criticism for promoting majoritarian politics and deepening communal divisions.
Following the Deputy Chief Minister's meeting with the godman, Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) spokesperson Amjad Ullah Khan criticised Bhatti Vikramarka, questioning the Congress party's "secular" credentials.
“It is deeply disturbing that a Deputy Chief Minister belonging to the Congress Party, which repeatedly claims to be a secular political party, chose to officially honour a person who has publicly advocated for transforming India into a ‘Hindu Rashtra.’ Such an act raises serious questions about the Congress Party's commitment to secularism and the constitutional values of equality and religious neutrality,” Amjad Ullah Khan said.
