Dalit man claims discrimination over temple entry; priest accuses him of molesting daughter-in-law

Barabanki: A 27-year-old Dalit man has alleged that he was stopped from offering prayers at the Lodheshwar Mahadev temple in this district by the priest, who, along with family members, beat him up and hurled casteist abuses.

However, the priest, Aditya Tiwari, alleged that his daughter-in-law was "molested" by the man who turned violent upon being stopped. The Dalit man, Shailendra, has been admitted to the district hospital for treatment.

Both parties have filed a police complaint.

Ramnagar police station's SHO Anil Kumar Pandey on Friday said the case is being investigated. Police will initiate action after scanning CCTV footage of the incident that happened inside the temple and after getting a statement from the temple priest.

Shailendra, in his complaint to the police, claimed that Akhil Tiwari, Shubham Tiwari and Aditya Tiwari stopped him from worshipping at the temple.

He alleged the accused stopped him from offering prayers by hurling casteist abuses. When he protested, they attacked him with a vessel and a bell, police said, citing the Dalit man's complaint.

Shailendra was taken to the community health centre in Ramnagar in an injured state and was later referred to the district hospital in Barabanki.

The temple's priest, Aditya Tiwari, on the other hand, accused Shailendra of attempting to molest his daughter-in-law.

"My son and daughter-in-law were praying. Meanwhile, he (Shailendra) started molesting my daughter-in-law. When my son opposed this, he started beating and abusing him.

"I have been called by the SHO. I will go to the police station and tell my truth. There is nothing related to casteism," Tiwari said while pointing out that many of the sevadars are Dalits or belong to backwards castes.

Here, lakhs of people from general and backwards castes come to visit during Sawan and on the occasion of Shivratri, and there have never been any such allegations, the priest claimed.