Lucknow: As the political storm continues to rage over the alleged caste-based assault on two non-Brahmin religious storytellers in Uttar Pradesh’s Etawah district, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav sharpened his attack—this time taking a swipe at controversial spiritual figure Acharya Dhirendra Shastri, popularly known as Bageshwar Baba.
Speaking to reporters, Yadav remarked, “Many kathavachaks charge Rs 50 lakh for an event. Can anyone afford to have Dhirendra Shastri conduct a katha at their home? He takes money under the table.” Although he said he was unsure of the exact amount Shastri charges, the former UP chief minister alleged, “It is definitely not free.”
Acharya Dhirendra Shastri has yet to respond to Yadav’s comments.
Background: The Etawah Incident
Yadav’s remarks come in the wake of a deeply controversial incident in Etawah’s Barhpura area, where two Bhagwat Katha preachers—Mukut Mani Yadav and his aide Sant Singh Yadav—were allegedly tonsured and publicly humiliated on June 22 for being from the Yadav caste. The assault, which took place in a Brahmin-dominated village, has led to arrests and sparked widespread outrage.
In a video shared by Akhilesh Yadav on social media, the accused can purportedly be heard saying, “You are being punished for entering a Brahmin village.” The SP chief accused the BJP government of fomenting caste tensions and claimed that “outsider elements” were being planted in UP villages to provoke unrest.
Police have arrested four individuals in connection with the case—Ashish Tiwari, Uttam Kumar Awasthi, Nikki Awasthi, and Manu Dubey—all residents of the village. Security has since been tightened in the region amid fears of escalation.
Political Implications
The incident has quickly taken on political overtones, with the SP portraying it as emblematic of Brahmin hegemony and caste-based discrimination under the BJP-led regime. “This is not an isolated incident,” Yadav claimed earlier in the week. “It is part of a systematic attempt to divide society along caste lines.”
The BJP has not issued a formal response to either the Etawah incident or Yadav’s remarks against Bageshwar Baba. However, party insiders suggest they view the controversy as an SP attempt to consolidate OBC votes ahead of the 2027 assembly elections.
Meanwhile, political observers note that the controversy could deepen caste fissures in the state, with both parties likely to use it as a rallying point in the months ahead.
