Police Deployment in Priest Disguise at Kashi Vishwanath Temple Sparks Political Controversy; Akhilesh Yadav Raises Questions, Demands Action
Varanasi, April 12, 2024: The presence of a group of police officers disguised as priests inside the sanctum sanctorum of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple on Friday has ignited a debate over the appropriateness of police presence within temple premises. Akhilesh Yadav has called for the suspension of those responsible for issuing such directives.
The controversy began when police personnel entered the garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple disguised as priests. Akhilesh Yadav’s comments on social media have prompted discussions on the legality of these actions in accordance with the ‘Police Manual’.
“How can it be justified under any ‘Police Manual’ to have police personnel in priest attire? Those who issue such orders should be suspended,” stated Akhilesh Yadav in his remarks.
Expressing concern, Akhilesh Yadav has demanded action regarding the presence of police officers posing as priests within the Kashi Vishwanath Temple premises. He emphasized that the Uttar Pradesh government and administration would be held responsible if such activities were exploited by miscreants to deceive innocent devotees.
Earlier on Tuesday, Police Commissioner Mohit Agrawal conducted a security conference at the Kashi Vishwanath Dham’s Sabha Ghar (assembly hall). During this conference, he emphasized crowd control measures and implemented a ‘No-Touch Policy’ to ensure that devotees were not jostled. He also provided security guidelines to the police officers on duty.
In order to facilitate devotees’ darshan of Lord Bholenath, the Police Commissioner directed both male and female officers to be stationed in the garbhagriha to guide devotees toward the deity. Additionally, officers were instructed to refrain from using social media during their shifts, maintain visible identity cards, and ensure their attire was in proper condition. It was emphasized that ordinary devotees should not be pushed aside by police officers when VIPs arrive.
