Bageshwar Dham chief says, no one has right to oppose Bajrang Bali or any God in the country

Self-styled godman Dhirendra Krishna Shastri said no one has the right to oppose Bajrang Bali or any God in the country, the remark coming against the backdrop of Congress' manifesto for Karnataka assembly polls.

Addressing a press conference in Ambernath town in Thane district of Maharashtra, Shastri said if anyone is opposing Bajrang Bali, then they are doing so with a particular agenda. Everyone has the right to practice his or her religion and customs but should not interfere in the religious practices of others, said Shastri, the head priest of Bageshwar Dham based in MP.

It is unfortunate that some people are opposing Bajrang Bali. I will pray that some good sense prevails in such people who are also part of society. No one has the right to oppose Bajrang Bali or any saint or God in our country, he said.

The Congress is facing backlash from BJP and right-wing organisations for bracketing Bajrang Dal with the Popular Front of India (PFI) in its manifesto for the May 10 Karnataka Assembly polls. Responding to a query, Shastri said the film Kerala Story has brought out the truth about love jihad- a term often used by right-wing activists to allege a ploy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into religious conversion through marriage.