PATNA: Gupteshwar Pandey, the 1987 batch IPS officer who had taken VRS (Voluntary Retirement Scheme) in September 2020 to contest the Bihar assembly elections has now become a full time preacher of religious scriptures. He had started the week long discourse through virtual mode on Bhagwat Gita from Friday, according to him, the auspicious day of Jayeshta Shukla Panchami, in Hindu calender
He invited people to join his "Bhagwat Vachan Amrit", to take place every day. The invitation card, featuring yellow colour dressed former police head of Bihar offered free lessons on Dharma-Karma. He is now concentrating on teachings of Ram Charit Manas and Bhagwat Gita only .
Pandey who had repeatedly declared last year that he may contest from any constituency in Bihar as people loved him, was disappointed both by JDU and the BJP as he was denied nominations from Buxar, his native district. CM Nitish Kumar had inducted him with great fan fare at JDU office, but later doors of the CM house were shut for the former DGP, who had played the role of an artiste and folk singer to popularise the prohibition campaign of Nitish Kumar by addressing villages, students and teachers in the rural areas
As DG of police ,last year he was more vocal than any JDU leader in demanding CBI probe into the mysterious death of film star Sushant Singh Rajput.
While Pandey was denied JDU ticket, his batchmate Sunil Kumar was fielded by Nitish Kumar from Bhorey in Gopalganj and even inducted into the Cabinet as excise and prohibition minister.
Pandey was hoping for nomination to the Vidhan Parishad also, but the Chief Minister denied him. When the jumbo sized state executive committee of JDU was announced, his name remained missing.
These developments have definite impact on Pandey, who has now vowed to lead towards "Vairagya and Bhakti (Renunciation and devotion). He visited Hanumangarhi in Ayodhya last week and appealed to the Lord Hanuman to make him successful in his mission for renunciation. He claimed Hanuman is his favorite.
Pandey is now wearing yellow coloured dhoti and scarf, abandoning the traditional urban areas dress. He visited his school- Ram Chabutara Ashram in Buxar and sought blessings of the saints for detachment.
The former DGP who was popular with the political leaders, has now shut his doors for them and totally devoted to religious scriptures and text books.
