Hindu group removes Sai Baba statues from dozen UP temples; chief detained

The leader of the Sanatan Rakshak Dal, a local Hindu organisation, was detained after the group was found removing statues of Sai Baba from various temples in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Police apprehended Ajay Sharma on Wednesday night for disturbing the peace by running a campaign to dismantle the statues.

The group began their actions on Tuesday, removing statues from several temples including the idol of the spiritual leader at the Bada Ganesh temple in Lohatia. They placed statues outside the temples’ premises. Sai Baba’s idol will be removed from 50 more temples, including the Agastya Kunda and Bhuteshwar temples, Sharma had said.

Speaking on the case, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Gaurav Banswal, said they were approached by several devotees with complaints about the security of the temples.

After the incident, a meeting of the managers of Sai Baba temples was also held in Varanasi on Wednesday. The leader of the outfit had announced that only Lord Shiva would be worshipped in Kashi (Varanasi). Subsequently, the devotees decided to approach the police commissioner against “those trying to vitiate the atmosphere”.

The Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi, describes Sai Baba as a saint, who spread the message of love, forgiveness, and charity, transcending religious boundaries.

According to beliefs, Shirdi is associated with Sai Baba and is one of the popular Hindu places of pilgrimage. A small rural town located in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district, it is said that Shirdi is the place where the ‘soul’ of Sai Baba rests. He is also known as Shri Satchidanand Sadguru Sainath Maharaj, according to the administrative body’s official website.

(With PTI inputs)