Kerala is grasping under the wrath of the worst flood in a century. As help is pouring in from all over the country, there is also no dearth of political gimmicks and propaganda playing over the plight of hapless citizens. There have been attempts to use the tragedy to propagate secessionist ideas, spread regionalist sentiments and many instances of fake news circulation. Now there also seem to be an attempt to stir communal discord and create unnecessary controversies.
Yesterday, self-styled ‘saint’ Chakrapani Maharaj was the centre of media attention due to some of his remarks. Chakrapani has stated that the flood in Kerala has happened due to the fact that some political leaders in Kerala slaughtered a cow on the streets and made a cruel show of eating beef.
#KeralaFloods caused by beef-eaters, says self-styled godman Chakrapani Maharaj | Download the ET App: https://t.co/3ws7S5nf50 pic.twitter.com/XoNK5ZHzUG
— EconomicTimes (@EconomicTimes) August 22, 2018
Interestingly, this was not the first time Chakrapani Maharaj has been in the news. Previously in 2016, he was part of a five-member team formed by the then Samajwadi party government to look into the ‘Kairana exodus’ and had given a report that it is only a conspiracy by BJP.
Netizens claimed that Chakrapani Maharaj was close to Samajwadi Party and is their ‘prime supporter’.
Sharing without comment pic.twitter.com/kmpBD2ARBP
— Rishi Bagree ?? (@rishibagree) August 22, 2018
This is the team that rubbished the Kairana exodus of Hindus a “conspiracy”. The person circled in the picture is Chakrapani Maharaj who is seen with the then Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Acharya Pramod K (in white), who had contested the 2014 general elections on a Congress ticket. Interestingly, both Chakrapani Maharaj and Acharya Pramod K were deemed ‘fake babas‘ by the All India Akhara Parishad.
In June this year, he was also seen praising Samajwadi party’s former CM Akhilesh Yadav. Before the UP assembly elections, he had even gone on record to state that BSP supremo Mayawati is the one true leader of this country. ‘Sirf Dalit ki Nahi, Desh Ki Beti Hain Mayawati Ji’ was his statement in December 2016. He had added that the women of the country will be safe in Mayawati’s able hands and he will support Mayawati as the next CM of UP.
Here is another photograph where both can be seen with senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh. The leader who has repeatedly made remarks to fan the “Hindu terror” narrative and had also released a book titled “26/11: RSS Ki Saazish”.
Chakrapani has also often times made statements against PM Modi and UP CM Yogi Adityanath.
As Chakrapani’s statement was picked up by almost all major media outlets withing no time and stirred a controversy, many on social media had wondered whether his statement was a politically motivated attempt to deliberately embarrass Hindu priests.
Classic case of outrage creation by media houses by bringing some Chakrapani… Uncouth people in media are also culprits in outrage and hatred manufacturing… ??? https://t.co/n5pumX2Tg5
— J Gopikrishnan (@jgopikrishnan70) August 22, 2018
Prime Time TV debate god man Chakrapani gets more media play for outrageous “dial a quote” comments than the “nameless” sadhus who were brutally murdered. Media feeding its own irrelevance
— Advaita Kala (@AdvaitaKala) August 22, 2018
NEVER heard of this man before. This is so typical. MSM probably pays these clows to wear those clothes and say something like this, so they can outrage. Meanwhile, REAL Sadhus get their tongues cut and are slaughtered for opposing cow smuggling!! https://t.co/rpLARK8rKB
— Shefali Vaidya (@ShefVaidya) August 22, 2018
Many people on social media were also concerned over the fact that while there are countless people and groups carrying out relief and rescue work in Kerala, how did mainstream media paint a self-proclaimed Sadhu as the voice of all Hindus.
