Viral Video: Bageshwar Dham Head Dhirendra Shastri Travels In Govt Plane, Cop Touches Feet, Sparks Row

A viral video has triggered a political row in Chhattisgarh, showing Dhirendra Shastri, the head of Bageshwar Dham, travelling in a government aircraft and being greeted by an on-duty police officer who is seen touching his feet. 

The visuals have sparked sharp reactions from the opposition parties and a war of words between the Indian National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Opposition parties are raising questions over the Bageshwar Baba using state resources and the conduct of government officials, which escalated into a heated political debate.

What Bageshwar Baba’s Viral Video Shows? 

The viral video, which has been widely shared on social media, shows Dhirendra Shastri arriving in Raipur on Thursday along with state minister Guru Khushwant Saheb, ahead of a religious discourse in Bhilai town of Durg district.

As they step off the aircraft, a uniformed police officer is seen first saluting the minister and then removing his cap and shoes before bending down to touch the preacher’s feet. 

The visuals quickly triggered backlash, with critics raising questions over the conduct of the police officer as well as the use of a government aircraft to transport a religious figure. 

Social Media Reactions 

One user commented, “Dhirendra Shastri holds no constitutional post—no minister, no MP. So why a Chhattisgarh govt aircraft? This isn’t faith; it’s misuse of state power.” 

Second user commented, “Using a government aircraft for a private religious program while ignoring soldiers’ requests shows gross misuse of public resources and negligence in national security.” 

Another user commented, “Using taxpayers’ money to promote a private religious figure violates constitutional values and secularism.”

Congress Flags ‘Misuse’ of Govt Aircraft in Shastri Visit

Congress launched a sharp attack on the BJP, accusing the ruling party of misusing state machinery and public funds for political and religious optics. 

Chhattisgarh Congress communication department chief Sushil Anand Shukla alleged that deploying a government aircraft to ferry Shastri amounted to a “waste of public funds” and a “misuse of the state exchequer.” he questioned the constitutional basis under which the aircraft was arranged and sought an official explanation from the government.