Akhilesh calls for boycott, Tejashwi says Dhirendra Shastri's ‘your Krishna, our Ram’ remarks are ‘utterly inexcusable’

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday condemned remarks made by Bageshwar Dham head priest Dhirendra Shastri about Lord Krishna, with both leaders demanding an apology and action against him.

Akhilesh called for a complete boycott of those making such remarks and demanded legal action against them.

“Human errors can be forgiven, but never blasphemy. Imposing a lifelong ban on such malicious individuals is what is most beneficial for society. All their programs across the country should be canceled, no new permissions granted, and every true Sanatani in public life should completely boycott them,” he said in a post on X.

He added that even repentance would not be enough to secure forgiveness for such remarks, and said a person should not become so arrogant as to consider themselves above god.

Tejashwi, meanwhile, said the remarks against Lord Krishna, whom he described as a folk hero revered across religious divisions, were “utterly unbecoming, inexcusable, and utterly indecent”.

“The remark made by a mentally deranged individual, nurtured by those in power, against our kuldevta Lord Shri Krishna—the folk hero who could shake Indrasan with the little finger of folk unity, revered by one and all beyond the bounds of religious divisions—is utterly unbecoming, inexcusable, and utterly indecent,” the RJD leader wrote on X.

Drawing a comparison between Lord Ram and Lord Krishna, Tejashwi said the two were complementary to each other and accused those making such remarks of attempting to divide even the gods. “Ram and Krishna are complements to each other. These hate-mongers used to divide humans first; now they've started dividing gods. How much further will they stoop in their political greed?” he said.

He also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP leaders to apologise to the country, society and Sanatanis for protecting Shastri.

The controversy erupted after a video of Shastri making remarks about Lord Krishna's appearance, posture and flute-playing during a Ram Katha in Karera, in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district, went viral. In the video, Shastri compares the physical appearance and mannerisms of Lord Krishna and Lord Ram, saying, “Look at any photograph of your Thakurji. He is always sitting in different postures. Even when he stands, he is bent at three places — his feet crossed, his waist bent to one side, his neck tilted, and then he plays the flute."

“Our Lord, on the other hand, always stands straight. His name is straight, the way he walks is straight. Your Lord's name is crooked, and even the way he walks is crooked. Our Lord's abode is also straight — Ayodhya — while yours is Vrindavan,” said Dhirendra. He went on to sing, “Playing the flute is child's play. Wielding a bow is no child's play.”

The remarks drew criticism, following which Shastri apologised, saying some people had misinterpreted his words and that he had never intended to draw a distinction between Lord Ram and Lord Krishna.