'My buffalo is more modern', Dhirendra Shastri targets women wearing western clothes

Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri of Bageshwar Dham triggered another controversy by saying that his buffalo should be considered more modern if wearing fewer clothes is modern as is being seen among present day women. He made this comment during recitation of Ram Katha in Raipur.

Raipur (Chhattisgarh):During the concluding day of the Ram Katha recitation at the Gudhiyari area of Raipur in Chhattisgarh on Monday, Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri took a dig at women wearing western clothes. He compared women wearing modern clothes to buffaloes.

Commenting on the women who wear modern dresses, Dhirendra Shastri said, "if wearing fewer clothes is a sign of modernisation then my buffalo is more modern than these women." While reciting the Ram Katha, Dhirendra Shastri started recalling the time when he used to wipe his face with his mother's clothes.

He said, "Some people are lucky enough to have experienced wiping hands and face with their mother's clothes. But today's mothers wear western clothes." He further said, "I am not commenting on anyone's clothes, because then some modern women say that I am pointing fingers at their clothing. But I am not pointing fingers at anyone. If wearing fewer clothes is modernisation, then even my buffalo is modern from long ago."

Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, known as Bageshwar Dham Sarkar, is believed to be a spiritual leader with powers to foresee problems of devotees. Recently, Dhirendra Shastri accepted the challenge from Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (ANS) of Nagpur to prove his powers by predicting future of people. He took this stance as some critics have accused him of spreading superstitions.