BJP Workers Clean Kannauj Temple After Akhilesh Yadav Visit; Allegations of Caste Discrimination Erupts

Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and a contender for the Kannauj Lok Sabha seat, paid a visit to Siddhapeeth Baba Gauri Shankar Mahadev Mandir yesterday. He engaged in prayers at the temple before commencing his campaign activities for the day.

A video circulating on social media depicts Akhilesh Yadav performing a Puja, followed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers cleansing the floor with 'Gangajal' after his departure from the temple grounds.

The BJP workers claims that Akhilesh was accompanied by multiple Muslim leaders who entered the temple wearing shoes. They states that this prompted them to cleanse the temple by washing it with 'Gangajal.'

Shivendra Kumar Gwal, the BJP city president, mentioned that there was no issue with Akhilesh's visit; he regarded him as an "electoral Hindu." However, he noted that some Muslims and other party members accompanying Akhilesh entered the temple wearing shoes and purportedly spat inside. Gwal added that there is a signboard outside the temple explicitly stating that entry is restricted for non-Sanatanis.

In response to these accusations, SP leader IP Singh addressed the matter in a post on X, "Honorable National President, Akhilesh Yadav belongs to the backward class, hence BJP got the temple premises washed with 'Gangajal,' before that it had got the CM residence washed. The BJP believes that backward, Dalit, deprived and exploited people have no right to worship in Hindu temples. This time these PDA, backward, Dalit, deprived and exploited people together will show BJP the way out of power."

India adheres to a caste system that significantly influences the daily lives of its people even today. According to Hindu beliefs, individuals are categorised into four main castes, determining their occupations, responsibilities, and privileges.

According to Hindu mythology, these castes are symbolically linked to different parts of the body of the god of creation, Manu: Brahmins to the head, Kshatriyas to the upper body, Vaishyas to the lower body, and Sudras to the feet.

Dalits are not even part of Manu's body. They were historically subjected to severe discrimination and were relegated to slave and bonded agricultural labour, as well as degrading tasks like manual scavenging due to the caste system. Branded as untouchables, they faced violence and exploitation.

Despite 73 years passing since independence, India continues to grapple with caste-based issues and discrimination, such as barring Dalits from entering temples. While there have been strides in political representation and numerical strength for Dalits, subtle forms of discrimination persist.