People like Bageshwar Dham chief should go to jail: RJD

Patna, April 28 (IANS) RJD leaders have reacted strongly to the upcoming visit of self-styled godman Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, the chief of Bageshwar Dham, a pilgrimage site in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur district, who is scheduled to hold a five-day spiritual camp in Patna soon.

RJD's state unit chief Jagadanand Singh said that people like Shastri should be put behind bars.

"It is extremely unfortunate that he (Shastri) is not in jail. The BJP is lining up communal hooligans in Bihar. The people of this country have great faith in saints, but the BJP is destroying that. How can a hooligan turn into a saint? It has never happened in our country before," Singh said.

"Dhirendra Shastri advocates turning India into a Hindu nation. I firmly believe that people's comments should be within the purview of the Constitution. Such saints are dangerous for the society," Singh added.

State minister and RJD leader Tej Pratap Yadav said: "If Dhirendra Shastri is coming here to stoke communal tension, I will stage a protest at the airport. He can enter Bihar only if he sends across the message of Hindu-Muslim-Sikh-Christian brotherhood."

Earlier this month, Shastri had drawn the ire of Maharashtra Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil for his "I don't consider Saibaba as God... He may be called a saint or fakir" remark.

"A criminal complaint should be filed and action should be taken against him for his irresponsible statement," Patil had said.