A 27-year-old Dalit man, Shailendra, has alleged that he was assaulted and abused with casteist slurs after he tried to offer prayers at the Lodheshwar Mahadev temple in Barabanki district. The incident has sparked outrage and calls for a fair probe, though the priest involved has claimed it was Shailendra who misbehaved.
According to Shailendra’s police complaint, he was stopped by the temple priest Aditya Tiwari, along with Akhil and Shubham Tiwari, who allegedly hurled casteist insults at him when he attempted to offer worship. When he protested, he claimed they attacked him with a temple vessel and a bell. He was initially taken to a community health centre in Ramnagar and later referred to the district hospital in Barabanki for further treatment.
However, the priest has denied any caste-based motive, instead alleging that Shailendra attempted to molest his daughter-in-law during prayer.
“My son and daughter-in-law were praying when this man tried to molest her,” said Aditya Tiwari. “When my son objected, he started beating and abusing him. This has nothing to do with caste.”
Tiwari also said he had been called by the Station House Officer (SHO) and would present his side of the story to the police. “Many sevadars in the temple are from Dalit and backward communities. Lakhs visit during Sawan and Shivratri. No such complaint has ever come before,” he claimed.
Both parties have filed complaints. Ramnagar SHO Anil Kumar Pandey said the matter is under investigation. “We are checking the CCTV footage and will take appropriate action after verifying both versions,” he told reporters.
