Amit Shah to take holy dip with Dalit sadhus at Kumbh Mela today | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Amit Shah to take holy dip with Dalit sadhus at Kumbh Mela today

ByPTI, Indore
May 11, 2016 10:20 AM IST

BJP national president Amit Shah will go ahead with his plan to take a holy dip, named ‘Samrasta Snan’ (social harmony bath), with Dalit sadhus in the Shipra river on Wednesday during the ongoing Kumbh Mela in Ujjain despite reservations from some quarters.

BJP national president Amit Shah will go ahead with his plan to take a holy dip, named ‘Samrasta Snan’ (social harmony bath), with Dalit sadhus in the Shipra river on Wednesday during the ongoing Kumbh Mela in Ujjain despite reservations from some quarters.

Pilgrimms take a holy dip at Ramghat Ghat in Kshipra river on Simhasth Kumbh in Ujjain. (Photo by Arun Mondhe/ Hindustan Times)
Pilgrimms take a holy dip at Ramghat Ghat in Kshipra river on Simhasth Kumbh in Ujjain. (Photo by Arun Mondhe/ Hindustan Times)

Shah, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, BJP vice president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, BJP MP chief Nandkumar Singh Chauhan and some other state ministers would be taking part in the bath, state BJP media in-charge Hitesh Bajpai said on Wednesday.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The ‘Snan’ comes at a time when RSS is organising a series of functions to draw Dalits and tribals into its fold in the wake of the backlash caused by its chief Mohan Bhagwat’s statement calling for review of the reservation policy before the Bihar Assembly polls last year.

However, the Dwarka-Sharda and Jyotish Peeth’s Shankaracharya Swaroopanand Saraswati and Akhil Bharatiya Akahara Parishad president Narendra Giri have criticised the plan, saying sadhus have no caste and everybody was always free to take holy dip during the Kumbh.

There should be no politicking to divide the sadhus on caste lines at the Kumbh, Shankaracharya has said. Senior RSS leader and Bharatiya Kisan Sangh vice president Prabhakar Kelkar said two days ago that the social harmony bath gave the impression that there had been discrimination against Dalits at the Kumbh until now.

Union Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot had also been invited to the ‘Snan’, said Ajay Pratap Singh, vice president of Deendayal Vichar Prakashan, an RSS outfit.

“Dalits will participate in the Snan in large numbers. Members of other communities too will take part ... it will be followed by Samrasta Bhoj (harmony lunch),” he said.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Mukhtar Ansari Death News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On