Reacting to Shastri’s recent remarks, Baghel alleged that Dhirendra Krishna Shastri visits Chhattisgarh under the guise of religious programmes primarily to collect money and, in practice, functions like an agent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Baghel said that he had been reciting the Hanuman Chalisa long before Shastri was even born, asserting that Shastri was “a newcomer” who had no authority to lecture others on Sanatan Dharma. “He is trying to teach us Sanatan values, when he is far younger and less rooted in our traditions,” Baghel remarked.
The former chief minister’s response came after Shastri stated that if uniting Hindu society is termed superstition, then such critics should leave the country. That comment triggered a fresh round of political sparring.
Emphasising Chhattisgarh’s spiritual legacy, Baghel said the state’s soil is shaped by the philosophies of Sant Kabir and Guru Ghasidas, and that its religious traditions are centuries old. “We do not need lessons from outsiders,” he said, adding sarcastically that even his own son is nearly a decade older than Shastri.
Baghel also questioned the concept of the “Divya Darbar,” a central feature of Shastri’s sermons. He asked that if people were truly being cured there, why was there a need to establish medical colleges. He went on to challenge Dhirendra Krishna Shastri to a public theological debate with any saint or religious scholar from Chhattisgarh.
The row began after Baghel accused certain storytellers of promoting superstition, following which Shastri responded by saying such people should consider leaving the country, even hinting at Pakistan.
What started as a dispute on a religious platform has now transformed into an open political battle, with both sides trading sharp statements and intensifying the standoff.
