In the 1990s, when the Ram temple movement was at its peak, people took serious offence to derogatory public utterances about Hindus having several gods and goddesses for the simple reason that worshipping multiple gods and goddesses was never a contentious issue.
Regardless of many Hindus having a specific “aradhya dev” (beloved or tutelary deity), they revered all gods—Ram, Krishna, Shiva and Maa—who were often called by different names in different regions.
“Hamare Ram stands straight, looks straight and his name is also spelt straight while your Krishna is bent in three places,” Shastri said.
The derogatory tone and tenor appeared aimed at eulogising Lord Ram over Lord Krishna. Shastri had also asked Krishna devotees to raise their hands, conceding they would be hurt by his observation. He later apologised for his comment, but by then, his comments had created a furore. Many Krishna devotees, including the Yaduvanshis, were outraged. Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav immediately demanded a ban on Shastri’s religious discourses in the state. Many others, including Union minister Chirag Paswan, also condemned the statement. The controversy has come at a time when the movement in Krishna Janmasthan in Mathura is gaining momentum, with the tacit support of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. The religious dispute over the temple and an adjoining mosque is in court, but it has become a poll issue. Large-scale preparations with the support of the state government are underway. Singh heads a party, the Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik), with two lawmakers. A Rajput leader with money and muscle power, Singh was put behind bars under POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act) by then chief minister Mayawati over two decades ago. He has navigated various political parties and has maintained cordial relations with the CM. Singh has operated in the region with money and muscle power. He is a political influencer who helped form the Kalyan Singh government by mobilising MLAs from other parties and, in return, received a cabinet berth. “When the desire for attention, recognition and self-importance overtakes genuine wisdom, silence and discernment, even the most revered figures begin to speak recklessly, contradict themselves and expose the hollowness beneath their public persona.This is particularly evident among some self-proclaimed Hindu spiritual leaders, who seem to mistake visibility for wisdom and popularity for spiritual authority.
The situation escalated when former Uttar Pradesh minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya decided to proceed with Shastri’s three-day Ram Katha, from November 17 to 19, in his stronghold of Kunda in Pratapgarh, despite the growing row.
“He has always been against dividing society in the name of religion and caste, but here, he is creating a rift in the name of our “bhagwan” (God),” Paswan said. But Kalyan Singh had once branded him “Kunda ka goonda (the thug of Kunda)”. The constant need to remain in the spotlight often leads them to make sweeping statements, indulge in unnecessary commentary and eventually descend into absurdity,” said Sandeep Singh, author of two books on Temple Economics, a Decade for Mandir
