‘Bageshwar Baba’ arrived in Patna, Bihar, to host a five-day gathering. Tej Pratap Yadav highlighted the inadequate planning by the organizers, which led to numerous devotees falling ill.
On Tuesday, Tej Pratap Yadav, the leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), launched an attack on preacher Dhirendra Shastri, alleging that he had insulted the people of Bihar by referring to them as “Pagal,” meaning insane. When questioned about his views on Dhirendra Shastri, who was in Patna for a five-day gathering, Tej Pratap Yadav asserted his unwavering faith solely in the Siddha Yogi saint Devraha Baba.
When a reporter mentioned the significant congregation, Tej Pratap Yadav underscored the inadequate planning by the organizers, which led to hundreds of devotees falling ill during Dhirendra Shastri’s “Divya Darbar” session in Naubatpur, Patna.
During his “Divya Darbar” session, Dhirendra Shastri stirred controversy when he referred to his supporters as “pagal” (meaning crazy) after having to cancel the aarti due to concerns that the audience had exceeded the venue’s capacity.
“The crowd has become too large, an enormous crowd has gathered…only crazy people have come.”
Who is Dhirendra Shastri aka Bageshwar Dham Baba?
Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, also recognized as Bageshwar Dham Sarkar or Maharaj holds the position of peethadhish at Bageshwar Dham Sarkar, a revered pilgrimage site located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, India. Born on July 4, 1996, with the name Dhirendra Krishna Garg, Shastri is known for reciting stories at Bageshwar Dham in Chhatarpur.
Dhirendra Shastri is renowned for delivering powerful sermons on Ramcharitmanas and the Shiva Purana. He claims to possess charismatic abilities acquired by his disciples through dedicated spiritual practice (sadhana). Within his Dham, he has established the Annapurna Kitchen, where he generously provides free meals to his devotees. Additionally, Dhirendra Shastri organizes an annual event to facilitate the marriages of underprivileged and abandoned females. Furthermore, he is actively involved in developing a Vedic Gurukul aimed at promoting Sanskrit and ancient Vedic studies.
Controversies of Bageshwar Dham Baba
When Indian rationalist Shyam Manav confronted Shastri and raised doubts about his spiritual abilities, Shastri attracted considerable attention. Manav accused Shastri of promoting blind faith. However, following an investigation, the police did not find sufficient evidence to pursue legal action under the Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Act.
Reports suggest that Dhirendra Shastri’s dham convenes in a community centre owned by the government. Allegedly, employees associated with Shastri have been pressuring 15 local landowners to sell their properties to the dham. However, Shastri denies these claims.
