Akhilesh and Tejashwi Seize on Bageshwar Baba’s Lord Krishna Remarks to Corner BJP Ahead of UP Polls | Political Pulse News

On Tuesday, Yadav tagged another video of Shastri in which he is seen discussing Lord Ram. Yadav said the remarks were part of an attempt to disrupt social harmony and warned that his party would not accept such conduct. “Who are these anti-Sanatana elements acting on the behest of? First, a controversial video about Lord Krishna surfaced, and now disrespectful remarks about Lord Ram’s father are being spread. His political masters may tolerate all this, but we will not accept even a fraction of it,” said the SP chief.

The day before, he had criticised Shastri without naming him and called for a ban on individuals involved in blasphemy.

“Human errors can be forgiven, but never blasphemy. Imposing a lifelong ban on such malicious individuals is what is most beneficial for society. All their programmes across the country should be cancelled, no new permissions granted, and every true Sanatani in public life should completely boycott them — this alone should be the punishment for their unforgivable sin; otherwise, they too will share in the sin of blasphemy and ruin their worldly and otherworldly existence,” Yadav said.

Shastri subsequently issued a clarification and apologised, saying his remarks were part of an explanation of a devotional verse and had been taken out of context. However, by then, the SP waded into the row. “Through the BJP-protected individual, the BJP is gradually rejecting the mythological, spiritual civilisations, history, and the writings in the Vedas and Puranas of our country, and is scripting a new narrative that is not only shameful but also reprehensible,” the party said in a statement.

‘बागेश्वर बाबा’ के नाम से मशहूर कथावाचक धीरेंद्र कृष्ण शास्त्री का एक वीडियो सोशल मीडिया पर वायरल हो रहा है. इसमें वह कथित तौर पर भगवान कृष्ण पर टिप्पणी करते हुए भगवान राम की श्रेष्ठता बताते नजर आ रहे हैं.

विवाद बढ़ने के बाद धीरेंद्र कृष्ण शास्त्री ने वीडियो जारी कर सफाई दी. उन्होंने कहा कि वो सिर्फ भगवान कृष्ण को भावपूर्ण उलाहना दे रहे थे.

— Indian Express Hindi (@IEhindi) November 2, 2026

“BJP members have looted the Ram temple; this BJP power’s ally, Dhirendra Shastri, who recently hurled senseless abuses at our Lord Krishna ji,” the party said, even as RJD leader and Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav hit out at the preacher, alleging that he was “protected by those in power”.

“Lord Ram and Lord Krishna are complementary to each other. These hate-mongers used to divide people; now they have started dividing even the gods. How much lower will they stoop for political gain? Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all BJP leaders who are protecting this person, who is undermining social harmony and Sanatani unity, should prostrate themselves in apology to the country, society, and Sanatanis,” Tejashwi said.

In Madhya Pradesh, former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who is undertaking his own Satya Sanatan Swabhiman Yatra to Ayodhya in UP, called Shastri a “fool”.

A problem for BJP

Targeting Akhilesh and Tejashwi, BJP spokesperson Naveen Srivastava said, “Now that elections are approaching, Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav have suddenly remembered Lord Krishna. But will Akhilesh Yadav, who has not visited the Ram temple and has questioned Lord Ram’s existence, tell us when he will visit the Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura? Does he support the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple movement or not?”

The BJP’s response reflects the electoral significance of the Krishna issue in Uttar Pradesh, where religious identity intersects with caste politics. Lord Krishna is particularly close to the Yadav community, which traditionally traces its lineage to the Yadu dynasty and regards the deity as central to its cultural and religious identity. The community is a major electoral constituency whose political influence has shaped the state’s assembly elections for decades.

An estimate by the UP Social Justice Committee put Yadavs at approximately 19.4% of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) population. The SP’s political identity has been closely associated with the community since the rise of Mulayam Singh Yadav. Its traditional Muslim-Yadav coalition helped it become a formidable force in the state, but also created a challenge as the SP attempted to expand beyond its core support base to win a statewide majority.

Shastri’s remarks could complicate matters for the BJP at a particularly crucial juncture. (Express photo)

The BJP has made repeated attempts to attract Yadav voters, including by promoting leaders from the community and invoking Krishna’s lineage. Its efforts are part of a broader strategy to weaken the SP’s traditional social base. While the BJP has focused on consolidating non-Yadav OBC communities, it has also sought to attract Yadavs through welfare schemes, the promotion of community leaders, and an appeal to Hindu religious identity.

The BJP’s strategy has included projecting Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav as a prominent Yadav leader. At a Yadav Mahakumbh in Lucknow in March 2024, Mohan Yadav urged the community to take pride in its lineage and sought to challenge the SP’s claim to represent Yadav interests. The BJP has also sought to use the Krishna Janmabhoomi movement in Mathura to appeal to a wider Hindu electorate, while drawing attention to Krishna’s connection with the Yadav community.

The political stakes were evident in the 2017 and 2022 Assembly elections. The BJP won 312 seats in 2017, while the SP was reduced to 47. In 2022, the SP recovered, winning 111 seats and increasing its vote share from 21.82% to 32.76%. The SP-led INDIA alliance’s victory in 43 of Uttar Pradesh’s 80 Lok Sabha seats in 2024 further demonstrated the limits of the BJP’s efforts to expand its support among Yadavs and other backward communities.

Influence of Bageshwar Dham

Shastri’s remarks could complicate matters for the BJP at a particularly crucial juncture. His growing political influence adds another layer to the controversy. Located in Chhatarpur in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh, Bageshwar Dham has grown into a sprawling religious complex, drawing lakhs of devotees. In 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Bageshwar Dham to lay the foundation stone for the Bageshwar Dham Medical and Science Research Institute, a project spearheaded by Shastri. Modi referred to Shastri as a “younger brother”, reflecting the preacher’s growing political clout.

Shastri’s political stand has also evolved. Initially, his discourses focused on devotion to Hanuman and personal problem-solving, without overt political messaging. Over the past two years, however, he has embraced a hardline Hindutva stance, branding himself a “Hindu Rashtra yoddha (warrior for a Hindu nation)”. He has called for India to be declared a Hindu nation, urged Hindus to unite against conversions, and made provocative statements like comparing unveiled women to “vacant plots”. Ahead of the Durga Puja this year in Bengal, he stirred a controversy by saying those who eat meat during the festival were “pakhandi (fraud)”.

Leaders from both the Congress and BJP have tried to court Shastri, whose influence is significant in the Bundelkhand region, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand. With the Congress struggling, courting Shastri has proven more beneficial for the BJP.