Lucknow: A preacher's remark has become a political fight in Uttar Pradesh. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said Dhirendra Shastri should not be allowed into the state at all.
The row began at a Ram Katha in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh, where Shastri compared the physical postures of Lord Ram and Lord Krishna, referring to Krishna's tribhanga stance. Seers and devotees in Mathura and Vrindavan objected, and Shastri apologised, saying he had no intention of insulting any deity or hurting religious sentiment.
Yadav did not let it rest there. Without naming Shastri in his post on X, he wrote: "Now he will neither be allowed to enter Braj nor Awadh. Neither a true Raghuvanshi nor a true Yaduvanshi will welcome him."
His argument is that Shastri hurt the religious feelings of the Yaduvanshi and Raghuvanshi clans. He also suggested putting up a board on the Uttar Pradesh-Madhya Pradesh border declaring that those who make blasphemous remarks will not be allowed to enter the state.
Yadav questioned why political figures get dragged into religious disputes at all, and warned that similar remarks could be aimed at other communities next.
There has been no official response yet from BJP leaders in the state. The issue is expected to be used to keep pressure on the ruling party in the run-up to the assembly election.
Both Braj and Awadh matter in the Samajwadi Party's map. That makes Yadav's warning more than a matter of faith. It is also a count of voters.
What the state government does about Shastri's events and their police permissions will become clear over the next few days.