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NEW DELHI: A political row broke out in Chhattisgarh after a video went viral showing Bageshwar Dham head Dhirendra Shastri arriving on a government aircraft. The clip also shows a uniformed police officer touching the preacher’s feet.Chhattisgarh Congress communication department head Sushil Anand Shukla on Saturday alleged that arranging a government aircraft for Shastri amounted to “wastage of public money” and “misuse of the state exchequer.”The clip, widely circulated on social media, shows Shastri alighting from the aircraft along with state minister Guru Khushwant Saheb at Raipur airport. In the video, an on-duty police officer is seen first saluting the minister and then removing his cap and shoes before touching Shastri’s feet. Shastri had arrived in the state to attend a religious discourse in Bhilai town of Durg district. Shukla questioned under what constitutional provision the aircraft was made available to the preacher and demanded an official clarification. He claimed that Shastri was neither a recognised religious head nor a peethadhishwar of any established shrine or ashram and accused him of acting “against the country’s composite culture.” The Congress leader further alleged that Shastri promotes social discord, which he said runs contrary to the inclusive values of Sanatan Dharma. Referring to Lord Hanuman, Shukla said that Hanuman symbolises love, tolerance, bravery and forgiveness and those invoking his name should embody these values. “Superstition and hypocrisy cannot survive for long,” he added.The incident also sparked debate online, with several users criticising the alleged use of a government aircraft for a religious figure at taxpayers’ expense and calling the police officer’s gesture a “mockery of uniform ethics.” Others defended the officer, arguing that he followed official protocol by saluting the minister and later expressed personal faith.Responding to the criticism, the BJP defended both the officer and the government. State BJP chief spokesperson and MP Santosh Pandey said there should be no objection to a police officer offering obeisance to a religious guru out of personal belief.“Don’t (Muslim) railway employees and airport staff offer namaz at railway stations and airports? Why does it upset the Congress when a police officer bows to a guru out of personal faith?” he asked.On the use of the state aircraft, Pandey countered by asking the Congress to explain instances during its own tenure when government helicopters and planes were allegedly used by religious figures. He accused the Congress of being “against Sanatan Dharma,” citing remarks by opposition leaders that he said were derogatory to the faith.
