Akola (Maharashtra): After his controversial remarks on Mahatma Gandhi, Maharashtra's Kalicharan Maharaj has drawn considerable attention from across the nation.
Native to Maharashtra's Akola, this 'dharma guru' who was originally known as Abhijeet Dhananjay Sarag, prefers to keep his personal life out of public view and rarely talks about it.
ETV Bharat team, however, managed to reach out to Kalicharan's family to procure some information on his obscure past.
Kalicharan's father Dhananjay Sarag said that he has no idea about the recent controversial statements given by Kalicharan. "I just know that he is working for religious causes and I am happy about it," he said.
Kalicharan, he said, has studied till 10th class, and has been involved in spiritual and religious matters since a young age. "He left for Haridwar with some dharma gurus while he was still quite young and has been staying there since," he said.
Kalicharan's house in Akola is located in the Bhavsar Panchbangla area in Shivajinagar in the old city area. His father Abhijeet Dhananjay Sarag and mother Sumitra Sarag currently stay there. Some police officials have reportedly been deployed around his house ever since his controversial statements surfaced. His neighbours and relatives refuse to comment on the matter.
A 'dharma' enthusiast since childhood, Abhijeet became 'Kaliputra Kalicharan' as he spent his time among seers and religious Gurus. Later people started addressing him as Maharaj although he insists that he is not a Maharaj, but a devotee and son of goddess Kalimata. He has developed his own unique style wherein he dresses only in red - with a red silk lungi, a red t-shirt, a red dupatta, and a big round vermilion tilak on his forehead with a Rudraksha mala around his neck.
Kalicharan had caught some limelight earlier when senior actor Anupam Kher had shared a video of him singing the Shivatandav Stotra on his Instagram. The video had reportedly gone viral, amplifying praises for Kalicharan. The video was shot at the famous Shiva temple at Obedullaganj in Bhojpur when Madhya Pradesh Bajrang Sena president Amrish Roy had taken Kalicharan along there.
Kalicharan had also reportedly tried his hand at politics by contesting for the post of Corporator in the Akola Municipal Elections held in 2017. However, he had to face defeat that year. Two years down the line, his candidature from Akola West constituency in the 2019 Assembly elections was given considerable thought, but then too, he did not contest the elections. As of criminal records, he was acquitted by the court in 2015 in a case filed under Section 324 of the IPC for 'causing harm by dangerous weapons' at the Old City Police Station in Akola.
Also read: Sant Kalicharan praises Godse, makes unsavoury remarks against Gandhi
