Chhatarpur (MP): Bageshwar Dham’s famous kathvachak Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, on Saturday, said that the funds collected through his religious events are being used to build hospitals instead of temples.
He added, his aim is to serve the poor and prevent religious conversions due to lack of medical facilities, alleging that missionary hospitals force people to convert in the name of providing treatment
Shastri was addressing the second day of the Shri Ram Katha in Amgaon of Gondia district in Maharashtra.
Here, he said his outreach programmes and foot marches are not meant for political power but for the safety of future generations.
‘Hindu women, children unsafe’
Referring to recent incidents of violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, Shastri cited cases of sexual assault and murder to express concern over the safety of Hindu women and children.
He said such incidents should not be ignored and stressed upon the need to protect future generations, their land and their livelihoods.
Health facilities essential to stop conversions
The religious emphasised the need for hospitals so that poor people are not forced to change their religion in exchange for medical treatment.
He stated that healthcare facilities are essential to stop religious conversions carried out under pressure.
Shastri also questioned the growing focus on building large temples, saying that India already has many temples worth thousands of crores of rupees.
He argued that donations are mostly being used to expand temples, while social service needs remain unmet.
He appealed to the Government of India to free temples from government control and suggested that temple donations should be used for welfare activities, including helping poor Hindu girls and supporting social service initiatives.
