A controversy has emerged from the Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh after a newly married Dalit couple claimed that they were stopped from entering a Hanuman temple by members of other castes, mostly from the OBC community. The incident took place on Friday, 24th April, when the couple went to the temple to offer prayers.
According to the couple, they were not allowed to enter and were asked to pray from outside. “I went to the Hanuman Temple with my wife to offer prayers, but the temple was locked, and we were not allowed entry. We were asked by the people of other castes to offer prayers from outside,” the husband, Nirmal Kanade, said in a video that later surfaced on social media.
The affected family used abusive language
The situation was later taken up by the police, who held discussions with both sides over the next two days. A senior police officer said, “The issue has been resolved following talks between all sides related to the matter. Restrictions imposed on the three families have been lifted, and normalcy is back.”
However, Local people claimed that the Hanuman temple usually remains closed during afternoon hours due to past theft incidents and to prevent stray animals from entering. They also said that some members of the affected families had used abusive language during the dispute, which escalated the tensions and led to the panchayat being called.
Even some SC families had supported the call to boycott the three Dalit families, particularly as members from those three families used abusive and intimidating language for the other castes’ people.
Upper caste blamed on social media
The incident has also sparked reactions online. While members of the OBC community denied entry for some valid reasons, but some Ambedkarite activists on social media blamed the upper castes for the incident.
The OBCs claim that the groom indulged in abusive language, and that’s why the entire trouble, including the boycott, happened, though by then the groom had made a Reel claiming caste bias.
Dalits can't enter Hindu temples.
— Suraj Kumar Bauddh (@SurajKrBauddh) April 26, 2026
A dalit couple was stopped from worship in MP's Khargone. They could perform puja only after calling the police. But now, the family are facing social boycott in the village.
Why do dalits go to temples? For humiliation? pic.twitter.com/ZQeHWOxGYn
One user wrote, “No entry of Dalits in Hindu temples. A married couple was stopped from worshipping at a Hanuman temple in Khargone, MP. He called the police and performed the rituals, but his family boycotted. Why do these people risk everything just to enter temples? Zero self-respect.”
Interestingly, villagers pointed out that another Dalit couple had recently visited the same temple and offered prayers without any issues, as they had come during open hours.
Police intervention and aftermath
The couple then approached the police, after which they were allowed to enter the temple and complete their puja. However, the matter did not end there. Within hours, a local panchayat of other caste groups, including members of the Banjara and Patel communities (OBC community), reportedly announced a social boycott of the couple’s family and two other Scheduled Caste families linked to them.
Kanade said, “Just a few hours after we entered the temple and offered prayers there, the Panchayat… decided to socially boycott our family and two other families associated with us. No one is doing any transaction with these three families.” He also appealed for support, urging people to share his video to help them get justice.
The panchayat warned that anyone interacting with these families or selling goods to them would face a fine of ₹11,000. The announcement created tension in the village and raised concerns about caste-based discrimination.
