Godman’s Visit to Bhatti House Sparks Protest
M-B-T spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan questions Congress leader’s secular credentials.
Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and his family welcoming controversial self-styled godman Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, who heads the Bageshwar Dham in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, appears to have landed the senior Congress leader in an unseemly controversy.
Shastri’s visit to the Deputy Chief Minister’s residence on Sunday was criticised by Majlis Bachao Tehreek spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan, who said: “By inviting a person who has publicly advocated for transforming India into a ‘Hindu Rashtra’, Bhatti has undermined the Congress party’s secular credentials.”
Shastri was in Hyderabad for two days to attend a private religious programme in Shamshabad, and was reportedly invited to the Deputy Chief Minister’s residence by his family on Sunday. Upon his arrival, the head of the Bageshwar Dham was accorded a traditional welcome by Bhatti and his family with a ceremonial aarti, with the Deputy Chief Minister placing a shawl on him as others around showered the godman with flowers.
Later, Shastri was presented with a portrait of Lord Venkateswara from Tirumala by the Deputy Chief Minister and his family, and a replica of a traditional bullock cart. Staff at the Deputy Chief Minister’s residence said that Shastri’s visit to the house was a private event.
Shastri had faced criticism in the past for his ‘Hindu Rashtra’ call, and for allegedly targeting minorities in his speeches, with critics accusing him of promoting communal divisions in society.
