By Dr. Gyan Pathak
Three things must not be allowed to represent Hinduism. First, “Sarva dosh hare Laxmi”, an old Sanskrit phrase which means “Goddess Laxmi conceals all faults”. Second, “Ram naamki loot hai, loot sako so loot; Ant samay pachhtayega jab pran jayega chhoot” which means “anyone who has capacity must loot Ram’s name put on for loot, or else repent when dead”. And the third, “Heaven is secured by a mere dip into the Ganges”.
The third was questioned long back by the great woman saint Mira Bai in the first half of the 16th Century, “If heaven is secured merely by a dip in the Ganges, all the fishes and frogs living in the Ganges would go to heaven even before human beings.” Now, come to the second, which deals with the psyche of people who are primarily interested in looting others’ property, and can’t understand a religion if it does not Provide him an opportunity of loot, even of the Ram’s name. Lastly, come to the first in which it is said that the goddess Laxmi conceals all faults. We have just seen all these three in the statements of a monk-turned-politician, who is Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath.
Mahakumbh Mela Police had filed an FIR against a Prayagraj boatman Pintu Mahara on February 11, 2025 for extorting money and harassing other boatmen. This extortion, the loot in the name of religion, was praised by Yogi Adityanath in the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha on March 4, 2025, as a spectacular achievement, shocking everyone with any sense of religion and justice.
Praising the boatman without naming him, Yogi Adityanath had said in the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, “I am sharing a success story with you about the boatman who had 130 boats and earned ₹30 crore in 45 days. Means one boat has earned ₹23 lakh in 45 days. If we talk of the per day income of these boats, it will be something between ₹50,000-52,000.”
It has also been reported, quoting senior police officials of Uttar Pradesh, that the person praised by Yogi Adityanath has cases of murder, attempt to murder, rioting, harassment and extortion. His father and brother also had criminal cases against them.”
The opposition has slammed CM Yogi Adityanath for showering praise and glorifying a criminal. Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav has pointed out, “First, an MoU was signed with a thug, and now, in the House praise was blindly showered on the individual. It’s time to open their eyes. It is precisely because of these reasons that criminals have become emboldened under the BJP government.”
Cautioning CM Yogi Adityanath, Akhilesh Yadav said the government should first get the right facts and only then indulge in glorification. “Let the truth of this news be investigated. If it’s true that a single family earned Rs30 crore in the Mahakumbh, then also tell us how much GST was collected,” he asked.
Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai asked how could a boatman earn so much when the government had placed a cap on boat service? He said, “A boatman earning Rs30 crore is nothing but an extortion racket. Boatmen have extorted heavy money from pilgrims and the government has failed to have any check over this loot.”
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate came down heavily on CM Yogi Adityanath for glorifying a criminal. She said, “Just think, how could a notorious criminal’s glorification be orchestrated in the Assembly under your watch?” And though the Mahakumbh Police registered an FIR for extortion and harassment against Pintu Mahara, he refuted the allegation and said he earned the huge amount because of his ‘bold decisions.”
“I have been in the boat business in Prayagraj for decades. Earlier, I had 60-70 boats. When I saw the influx of devotees in Kumbh in 2019, I could fairly anticipate the kind of influx which will come to Maha Kumbh in 2025. This is when I had decided to put all my savings into buying new boats before the Maha Kumbh opened for pilgrims.”
CM Yogi Adityanath was responding to the SP’s accusations. He alleged that SP leaders and their actions undermined the nation’s religious foundation. “You play with India’s religious sentiments and then call our thinking communal. How is it communal?” CM Yogi Adityanath asked, citing socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia, who had emphasized the importance of Lord Ram, Lord Krishna, and Lord Shiva as guiding ideals, which ensured the nation’s strength and unity.
The Chief Minister praised Maha Kumbh as a massive spiritual event that attracted people from over 100 countries, as evidence of India’s inclusive and religious harmony. He emphasised that the event was free from any caste, sect, or religious discrimination, and that participants were deeply moved by the experience.
According to official data, 66 crore people took the holy dip in the Ganges during Mahakumbh 2025 out of 142 crore population of India. Total business turnover of this religious event was Rs 3 lakh crore and the projected revenue for the Uttar Pradesh government was Rs 55,000 crore. The Uttar Pradesh government had allocated Rs 7,000 crore and the central government Rs 15,000 crore for the Maha Kumbh.
Who got what in the Maha Kumbh? No one can say with certainty whether devotees secured heaven or not, but one can say with certainty that the religious sentiment resulted in earnings of huge amounts of money, which was the driving force behind the super-hype surrounding the event. The BJP-led government was seen propagating “imbecility” in the name of Hindu religion, which was not in anyway Hinduism. (IPA Service)
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