Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): BJP's Ujjain district general secretary, Sanjay Agrawal, has faced sharp criticism after a video surfaced showing him allegedly contaminating the sacred daal (pulses) used for making prasad of the Mahakal Temple. The video, which has been widely circulated by Congress, has drawn widespread condemnation.
The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday when Agrawal, accompanied by Madhya Pradesh minister Gautam Tetwal, visited the temple’s laddu preparation unit for inspection. The video shows Agrawal taking a handful of chana daal from a worker grinding it. He is seen tasting the daal twice and then throwing the remainder back into the grinder.
Watch the video here:-
According to information, after the video went viral, local Congress leader Ajit Singh said, "BJP, which engages in politics in the name of religion, has repeatedly hurt the sentiments of devotees. It is extremely shameful to eat the dal, which is meant to be ground into flour for the laddus that will be offered to Lord Mahakal and then consumed by devotees as prasad, under the guise of a quality check, and then throw it back into the grinder with the same hand."
The video garnered widespread attention. After the video went massively viral, Agarwal issued an apology. He said "I did this to check the quality of the dal, but did not put in the stale dal. I request the Congress to keep the temple away from politics. Still, if anyone's sentiments have been hurt, then I apologize."
The Mahakal Temple's laddu prasad is renowned both in India and abroad for its purity, made with gram flour and pure ghee. The prasad is produced in large quantities, with around 40 quintals prepared daily by 60 workers at the temple's unit near Chintaman Temple.
The temple committee has ensured high standards, with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) awarding a five-star rating for quality in 2015. The prasad is available in various sizes and is often taken home by devotees, including those from abroad.