Bageshwar Dham guru Pandit Dhirendra Shastri gets threats from Punjab fundamentalist

BHOPAL: Pandit Dhirendra Shastri of Bageshwar Dham has allegedly received threats from Punjabbased fundamentalist Barjinder Parwana, self-styled chief of Damdami Taksal Jatha Rajpura.

Speaking at a public event in Kadarabad village of Kapurthala district, Parwana declared that the “countdown for Dhirendra Shastri has begun”, and allegedly threatened to kill him.

Parwana’s remark was in reaction to a statement made by Shastri on Harihar Temple, which Parwana linked to Amritsar’s Golden Temple. According to Shastri's supporters, he meant the Kalki Harihar Dham at Sambhal, and not the Golden Temple.

An MP organisation has sent a complaint to the DGPs of Punjab and Haryana, demanding action against Parwana within 48 hours. Parwana is no stranger to controversy and was previously arrested in connection with the 2022 violence in Patiala. MP intelligence chief Yogesh Deshmukh told TOI that Shastri already has Y-category security and it will be upgraded, if felt necessary, after threat assessment.