Video of Dhirendra Shastri arriving in Raipur in govt aircraft, cop touching his feet sparks row

Raipur: A row has erupted after a video emerged showing Bageshwar Dham head, spiritual preacher Dhirendra Shastri, arriving in Chhattisgarh in a government aircraft and an on-duty police officer touching his feet, with the Congress alleging "misuse of public money".

The BJP, however, defended the cop's act as "personal faith", and accused the Opposition party of being against the Sanatana Dharma.

Shastri, accompanied by State Minister Guru Khushwant Saheb, arrived in Raipur on Thursday for a religious discourse in Bhilai town in Durg district.

The clip, widely circulated on social media, shows Shastri and the minister alighting the aircraft, and the police officer in uniform first saluting the minister and then removing his cap and shoes before stepping forward and touching the religious preacher's feet.

As the video went viral, questions were raised about the conduct of the uniformed officer and the use of a state aircraft for a religious preacher.

Several social media users criticised the episode, alleging that a government aircraft was used for a religious figure at taxpayers' expense and termed the officer's gesture a "mockery of uniform ethics", while some others defended the officer, saying he first followed constitutional protocol by saluting a minister and later expressed personal faith by touching the preacher's feet, calling it a blend of duty and devotion.

The Congress, however, launched a sharp attack on the government over the issue.

Chhattisgarh Congress communication department head Sushil Anand Shukla on Saturday said sending a government aircraft to bring Dhirendra Shastri amounted to "wastage of public money" and "misuse of the state exchequer".

He questioned under what Constitutional authority the aircraft was arranged for Shastri and demanded an official clarification from the government.

Shukla claimed that Shastri was neither a religious head nor a 'peethadhishwar' of any recognised shrine or ashram, and accused him of acting "against the country's composite culture".

He also accused Shastri of spreading social discord, contrary to the inclusive values of Sanatan Dharma.

Citing Lord Hanuman, Shukla said that while Hanuman symbolises love, tolerance, bravery and forgiveness, those earning a livelihood by narrating his tales in his name should imbibe these values themselves.

He alleged that "superstition and hypocrisy cannot survive for long".

Meanwhile, state BJP chief spokesperson and MP Santosh Pandey said there should be no objection to a police officer offering obeisance to a religious guru.

"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 said.

On the use of the state plane, Pandey said the Congress should explain during whose tenure a 'tantrik' was allowed to use government-provided helicopters and aircraft.

He further alleged that the Congress has always been against Sanatana Dharma, claiming that its leaders, including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin and Congress leader Priyank Kharge, had abused Sanatana by comparing it to mosquitoes, dengue and disease.

Opposition to 'Sanatan' is in the Congress's blood, he claimed.

A senior police official here said that so far, no action has been taken against the police officer, who is posted as the station house officer of Mana Basti police station here.