The removal of Sai Baba statues from Purushottam Temple and Bada Ganesh Temple, two significant temples in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh by Ajay Sharma has caused controversy
Hindu nationalist organizations objected to the idols of Sai Baba by saying they had no place in temples honouring Hindu gods. Under pressure, the temple administration consented to the removal, sparking discussions concerning religious customs and Sai’s role in Hindu worship. The debate about Sai Baba idols is not new, though.
Who is Ajay Sharma President of Sanatan Rakshak Dal who removed statues of Sai Baba from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh temples
UP police has arrested Ajay Sharma for removing the statues of Sai Baba from the temples of Banaras.
Ajay Sharma is the head of a Hindu organization who works for the upliftment of Hindus and enlightening them about fake Mahapurush.
More details are awaited. pic.twitter.com/QsTmtanbkv
— Shubham Sharma (@Shubham_fd) October 3, 2024
As part of the Sanatan Rakshak Dal’s campaign, the Sai Baba statue at the Bada Ganesh Temple in Varanasi was taken down. The group’s members took down the statue on Sunday night, arguing that Sai Baba’s worship should not be allowed in a city that is considered sacred to Sanatan Dharma.
The Sanatan Rakshak Dal head, Ajay Sharma, said that Sai Baba’s presence at the Kashi temples had no purpose.
Diverse Sanatan Rakshak Dal members gathered on Monday at the famous Bada Ganesh Temple in Lohatia, which draws thousands of worshippers every day. A five-foot-tall cloth-wrapped Sai statue was taken out of the temple compound and placed outside the grounds by the group during the meeting.
In 2014, the Supreme Court declined to intervene in a dispute stemming from comments made by the Shankaracharya of Dwarkapeeth about worshiping Sai Baba. Derogatory comments against the saint and the removal of his idol from multiple temples were the outcomes of this controversy. The Saidham Charitable Trust, which is in charge of managing several Maharashtra temples, including the Sai Baba temple, filed a plea with the court, according to sources.
The Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department received a notification from the Madras High Court in June of this year regarding a petition that sought to remove Sai Baba idols from Hindu temples that are administered by the government.
The annoyance of Hindus was seen in #kashi.
Here the statue of Sai Baba has been removed from the Bada Ganesh Mandir.
President of Brahmin Mahasabha ( UP ), Ajay Sharma said that what is the need of Sai in Ganesh temple? After that he reprimanded the temple priest.
After this,… pic.twitter.com/TVOip6ixd6
— Parijat Saurav Anand (@saurav_par93070) October 2, 2024
Suresh Babu, a resident of Coimbatore, filed the case, claiming that a previous court decision supports the notion that Sai Baba’s followers are not limited to Hinduism but come from a variety of faiths.
Ajay Sharma’s arrest
Ajay Sharma who is a Brahmin Hindu is the state president of Sanatan Rakshak Dal. The police took him into custody late last night at 2am. The police claim that this measure was done in response to a potential breach of peace. Ajay Sharma, the state president of Sanatan Rakshak Dal, was taken into custody on Wednesday in relation to the disturbance, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police Gaurav Banswal.
The idol of Sai Baba was taken down from 14 Varanasi temples by Ajay Sharma. Sai idols were also taken down from other temples as part of his campaign. Ajay Sharma had earlier said that when the deity of Sanatan Dharma is seated in the religious city Kashi, why should Chand Mian alias Sai be worshiped in the temples of Kashi.
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