 "Baba Birnath Aghori")
Politicians like to seek out godmen all the time, especially around elections. Some do it for advice. Others do it to solicit the support of their voters. Of course, a favourable prediction lifts everybody's spirits. But nothing had prepared the people of Bihar for what they saw in a video clip that was made public by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Giriraj Singh a few days ago.
In the clip, which has been circulated heavily on the social media, a tantric is shown hugging Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Towards the end of the clip, the tantric shouts, "Nitish Kumar zindabad, Lalu Prasad murdabad."
BJP tried to kill two birds with one stone: one, Kumar, who is perceived to be above superstitions and has strong secular credentials, doesn't mind mingling with godmen in private; and two, the bonhomie between him and Prasad is tentative, at heart they remain rivals - their alliance will collapse if it wins the ongoing elections to the state legislative assembly.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi played up the meeting between the tantric and Kumar, which took place sometime last year, in one rally after the other. Kumar, at least for the time being, appeared to be on the defensive. Prasad, the street-smart politician, chose to brazen it out and said he was the "biggest tantric of all".
The tantric in question is Baba Birnath Aghori. A report in The Hindu said he has fled his ashram, which is situated in a village called Bhavnauli Mathia in the Siwan district. The newspaper found his room locked. Locals say that he got a call from someone and he went underground.
When asked his background, one of his followers told Business Standard: "He belongs to Motipur in the Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh. He was born a Muslim but later became an aghori and started worshipping at the cremation grounds." Aghoris are known to be on the fringes of the ascetic world, nothing is taboo for them.
The tantric came to Bhavnauli Mathia, which is 2 km from his birthplace, a few years ago. One Rajiv Singh is known to have given him one of his vacant rooms when he found the tantric wandering in that area.
In just four years, his followers grew rapidly. The list includes heavyweights, including legislators. "His predictions were so accurate that people used to come in hoards to see him," says another of his high profile followers, who is contesting the election, "He predicted that I would get the ticket."
It was nothing short of shock for this person because there were no indications from the party that he would be fielded. The party already had a strong candidate on that seat. However, as fate would have it, the candidate was jailed and this person got the ticket. "Those who are making this a political issue will have to pay the price," he says. His belief in the tantric remains unshaken.
The person who allegedly recorded the video is contesting election on a BJP ticket from Siwan and is a follower of the tantric. Neeraj Kumar, a senior Janata Dal (United) leader who used to visit him at regular intervals, is the one who took Kumar to the tantric. Neeraj Kumar was unavailable for comment.
However, not everyone is sad with the disappearance of the tantric. The Hindu reported that the villagers were happy to see his back because he would drink throughout the day and then abuse the villagers. When asked to mend his ways, the tantric would often flaunt his political connections. "His tantrums rose to another level after Kumar visited him last year after the general elections. They were fed up with his behaviour and praying for this day," says a journalist who toured the village.
