‘Many Kathavachaks Charge Rs 50 Lakh': Akhilesh Yadav Takes Jibe At Dhirendra Shastri
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Akhilesh Yadav criticized Dhirendra Shastri amid controversy over the assault on non-Brahmin preachers in Etawah, claiming many kathavachaks charge Rs 50 lakh for events.
Following the ongoing controversy over the assault on a non-Brahmin 'kathavachak' (religious storyteller) in Uttar Pradesh's Etawah, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday took a jibe at religious leader Acharya Dhirendra Shastri, saying that there are many storytellers who charge Rs 50 lakh.
The SP Chief said he doesn't know how much Dhirendra Shastri, also known as Bageshwar Baba, charges for storytelling, but claimed 'it is not free".
'Many kathavachaks charge Rs 50 lakh for an event. Can anyone afford Dhirendra Shastri for a katha (religious ceremony) at their residence? He takes the money under the table," Yadav told reporters in Hindi. However, there was no immediate response from Dhirendra Shastri.
This comes days after two Bhagwat Katha preachers identified as Mukut Mani Yadav and his aide, Sant Singh Yadav, were allegedly tonsured and humiliated in a village in Etawah.
The June 22 incident allegedly took place after it was found that the preachers belonged to the Yadav caste.
The incident caused widespread protests in the village, leading to the arrest of four accused — Ashish Tiwari, Uttam Kumar Awasthi, Nikki Awasthi and Manu Dubey — all residents of the village.
Attacking the ruling BJP over the alleged assault, Yadav said that the incident was part of a larger conspiracy to divide Uttar Pradesh along caste lines by bringing in 'planted elements" from neighbouring states.
First Published:
June 30, 2025, 11:59 IST
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