No One Matches Him in Taking Bribes’ – Akhilesh’s Shocking Claim on Dhirendra Shastri

Uttar Pradesh (The Uttam Hindu) : The political storm surrounding the incident of misbehavior with two storytellers in Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, shows no signs of settling. Amid this, Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav has strongly criticized Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri of Bageshwar Dham, accusing him of taking undisclosed payments.

Speaking at a press conference, Yadav referenced Dhirendra Shastri while discussing the Etawah incident. He remarked, “There are storytellers who charge ₹50 lakh for a recital. Some people can afford to call Dhirendra Shastri to their homes. Some Babas take money under the table… It should be investigated whether Dhirendra Shastri takes money unofficially. Who knows how much he charges for a story session?” He also emphasized that people from all communities engage in storytelling.

In a show of support, the SP chief honored both narrators involved in the Etawah incident at the party office, giving them a cash reward of ₹51,000 each. However, this move has sparked allegations of caste-based politics, which Akhilesh Yadav dismissed, terming his actions as based on "PDA" (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) ideology, not casteism. The Samajwadi Party continues to openly back the narrators, turning the issue into a broader political debate, seen by many as a Brahmin versus Yadav divide in the state’s politics.

To recap, on June 21 in Dandarpur village, Etawah, narrators Mukutmani Yadav and Sant Kumar Yadav were allegedly assaulted during a storytelling event. Villagers accused them of concealing their caste, cut their hair, and publicly humiliated them by shaving their heads. A video of the incident went viral, prompting police action. Four people have been arrested, but in a twist, the narrators themselves are also facing charges of fraud and possessing fake Aadhaar cards.