LUCKNOW, Nov. 4: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday criticised religious preacher Dhirendra Shastri over his recent remarks comparing Lord Ram and Lord Krishna, demanding restrictions on his entry into Uttar Pradesh.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister alleged that Shastri’s comments had hurt the religious sentiments of both the Yaduvanshi and Raghuvanshi communities.
In a post on X, Yadav indirectly referred to the preacher without mentioning his name, stating that he would not be welcomed in the Braj and Awadh regions of the state.
“Now he will neither be allowed to enter Braj nor Awadh. Neither a true Raghuvanshi nor a true Yaduvanshi will welcome him,” the SP chief said.
Yadav also proposed displaying a warning board along the Uttar Pradesh-Madhya Pradesh border, stating that individuals making disrespectful remarks about religious beliefs would not be permitted to enter the state.
Questioning the involvement of political personalities in religious controversies, he alleged that certain individuals were using religious figures and deities to settle personal and political disputes.
“Why are political people bringing God into their mutual clashes?” he asked, while raising questions about whether someone was targeting religious sentiments in Uttar Pradesh at the behest of an outsider.
The SP president further cautioned that allowing such controversies to continue could encourage similar remarks against other communities. In a pointed reference to the Nepal border, he remarked that it might also have to be closed to prevent the preacher from entering the state through that route.
The controversy erupted following Shastri’s remarks during a Ram Katha programme in Karera, located in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district.
While speaking about the religious significance and appearances of Lord Ram and Lord Krishna, Shastri reportedly said that Lord Ram stands straight, whereas Lord Krishna’s posture is bent at three places.
He referred to Krishna’s traditional ‘tribhanga’ posture, in which the body bends at three points, and mentioned the deity’s flute and association with Vrindavan. He also drew comparisons between Ayodhya and Vrindavan during his discourse.
The comments subsequently circulated on social media, prompting objections from seers and devotees, particularly in Mathura and Vrindavan.
Several religious figures expressed displeasure over the comparison, maintaining that Lord Ram and Lord Krishna hold equal significance in Hindu religious traditions and that their forms should not be placed against each other.
As the criticism intensified, Shastri, who heads Bageshwar Dham, issued an apology through a video message shared on social media.
Speaking from Nairobi, Kenya, on Monday, he clarified that he had no intention of insulting either deity or suggesting any distinction in their religious significance.
He said his remarks were not intended to hurt anyone’s faith and expressed regret if his words had offended the religious sentiments of devotees.
Despite the apology, the controversy continued to attract political and religious reactions, with Yadav demanding that the issue be taken seriously.
The episode has brought renewed attention to the sensitivities surrounding public statements about religious figures and the reactions such comments can generate among different communities.
Shastri’s clarification sought to address the objections, while the Samajwadi Party chief maintained that remarks concerning revered deities should be made with due consideration for the sentiments of devotees.