Professor Ravikant, who accused Dhirendra Shastri of human trafficking, has been booked. He had made serious comments on social media, which escalated the controversy.
Professor FIR Case: Following the serious allegations made by Associate Professor Ravikant of the Hindi Department at Lucknow University against Dhirendra Shastri, the Peethadhishwar of Bageshwar Dham, legal action has now been initiated against him. The police have registered a case against the professor under Section 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). This entire matter has sparked a deep debate in religious and social circles.
What is the whole matter?
The controversy began on the night of July 28, when 13 women were forcibly taken away in an ambulance in Lavkush Nagar, Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh. These women were being taken to Mahoba railway station. During interrogation, it came to light that these women had been living in Bageshwar Dham for the past six months.
According to the Dham administration, they were accused of chain snatching and theft, due to which it was decided to remove them from the Dham. They were being sent to their homes, and in this connection, they were being taken to the railway station via ambulance.
Controversy escalated due to social media post
After the video of the incident surfaced, Professor Ravikant shared a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). In this post, he accused Dhirendra Shastri of Bageshwar Dham of human trafficking. Along with this, he termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "Non-Biological Prime Minister" and described Dhirendra Shastri as his "younger brother." He demanded that a thorough investigation should be conducted against Dhirendra Shastri and he should be hanged if found guilty.
Legal action intensifies after FIR is registered
After Professor Ravikant's post went viral, Dhirendra Gaur, on behalf of the Bageshwar Dham Jan Samiti, filed a complaint at Bamitha Police Station, Chhatarpur. Based on this, the police registered a case under Section 353(2) of the BNS.
Under this section, spreading any false or misleading information that hurts public sentiment or causes social unrest is considered a punishable offense. It provides for a maximum sentence of three years and arrest.
Dhirendra Shastri's Reaction
Reacting to the matter, Pandit Dhirendra Shastri said that a conspiracy was being hatched against him. He said, “We are trying to unite the Hindu society and that is why conspiracies are being hatched against us. No matter how many allegations are leveled against us, we will continue to serve Hindutva and Hindustan as long as we are alive. We will fight for the Sanatan tradition till our last breath."
He also said that some people are worried about his padyatra (foot march) to be held from November 7 to 16 and that is why he is being targeted.
Lucknow University's position
Professor Ravikant is employed in the Hindi Department at Lucknow University. After this entire controversy, no formal reaction has come from the university administration so far, but according to sources, the university administration is seriously investigating the matter and an internal committee may be formed soon.
Professor Ravikant has been in controversies before as well
This is not the first time that Professor Ravikant has been in controversies due to his statements. Even before this, he has been in discussions several times due to the posts made on social media and the statements given on public platforms. However, this time the matter is directly related to religious sentiments and a prestigious religious figure, due to which the matter has become sensitive.
