Story by Harshit Uttam I Updated : 28 December
In Chhattisgarh, a political controversy erupted after a video surfaced showing Bageshwar Dham chief Dhirendra Shastri arriving on a government aircraft, with a police officer seen touching his feet
The Congress communication chief in Chhattisgarh, Sushil Anand Shukla, alleged that flying Shastri in a government aircraft was nothing more than squandering public funds and misusing the state treasury.
Social media footage depicts Shastri arriving at Raipur airport, alighting from the aircraft together with state minister Guru Khushwant Saheb.
Footage reveals a police officer on duty first saluting the minister, then respectfully removing his cap and shoes before seeking blessings by touching Shastri’s feet. Shastri was visiting Bhilai town in Durg district to attend a religious event.
Shukla demanded clarification on the constitutional grounds for granting Shastri a government plane, stressing that Shastri is not a recognized religious figure or peethadhishwar of any shrine, and charging him with working against the nation’s inclusive culture.\
The Congress leader alleged that Shastri fosters social division, which he argued contradicts the inclusive principles of Sanatan Dharma. Citing Lord Hanuman, Shukla emphasized that Hanuman represents love, tolerance, courage, and forgiveness, and said those who invoke his name should reflect these qualities. He added that superstition and hypocrisy are unsustainable.
Social media erupted with criticism over the alleged misuse of a government aircraft for a religious figure and the police officer’s gesture, which some labeled a “mockery of uniform ethics.” Defenders maintained the officer respected protocol first and only afterward expressed his faith.
The BJP rejected the criticism, backing both the officer and the government. State spokesperson and MP Santosh Pandey maintained that a police officer’s act of reverence toward a religious guru, when rooted in personal belief, is beyond reproach.
“If Muslim staff at railway stations and airports can offer namaz, why should Congress be upset when a policeman shows respect to a guru as part of his personal belief?” he remarked.
Pandey countered the Congress attack by demanding clarification on alleged past instances of religious figures using government aircraft under Congress rule. He went on to accuse the party of being “against Sanatan Dharma,” citing opposition statements he deemed offensive to the faith
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