'Leftists conspiring against Sanatan Dharma': Self-styled godman Dhirendra Shastri

Self-styled godman Dhirendra Shastri, also known as Bageshwar Dham Sarkar and is trending on social media platforms after a Maharashtra-based organisation challenged him to display his miraculous power, on Saturday accused 'Leftists' for conspiring against the Sanatan Dharma.

Speaking to Republic, Shastri said, "It is the leftist people who are accusing us. They are conspiring against Sanatan Dharma and culture. Because we are making people return to Sanatan."

Responding to the challenge, Shastri described his 'miracles' as the grace of Bageshwar Dham. "We do not do any face reading. We ask 'Hanuman ji' to solve the problems of the people coming to the Dham and tell them. We are devotees of a simple God. We don't make any claim, we just get the impression from our god and we tell them (devotee)."

"If anyone accuses us, I am Dhirendra Krishna Shastri. But to accuse the Bageshwar Dham Sarkar is to accuse the entire Sanatan Dharma. People of all other religions also organize big events. If they do, then how has it become their job to set up a court of religion and ours to spread superstition," the self-styled godman said.

He said that Bageshwar Dham has been running free Bhandara for the last three years and building a cancer hospital along with getting poor girls married. 

"Those who accuse us should first donate to these social works, then raise questions on us, otherwise, they have no right to raise questions," Shastri said.

He said that darbars have been a tradition of ancient India. "Our gurus and their gurus used to hold such darbars. Such darbars continued to be held in Odisha as well. We are just carrying forward the same tradition," the Self-styled godman asked.

Furthermore, Shastri alleged, "Missionaries convert people by spending crores of rupees, but we failed their plan, so they are plotting and questioning the glory of Bageshwar Dham because these people are afraid that this man is spoiling our game."