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Kalki Dham chief alleges pressure from Congress to make adverse remarks against Uttarakhand CM Dhami

DEHRADUN: Acharya Pramod Krishnam Maharaj, the head of the Kalki Dham in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh and a former prominent Congress leader, has made a startling claim, alleging that senior leaders within the Congress party became displeased with him after he refused to publicly criticise Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. The revelation came during a book launch event in Dehradun on Thursday, where Maharaj participated in an event celebrating the achievements of CM Dhami. Pramod Krishnam Maharaj stated that the Congress leadership had exerted significant pressure on him to make adverse remarks against the sitting Chief Minister. There was pressure from the Congress side for me to say something against Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, but I clearly refused the party leaders, Maharaj asserted from the stage. He justified his stance by stating, I cannot be against any Chief Minister merely because he belongs to the opposition party. I will not make baseless statements against Pushkar Singh Dhami because I cannot speak against a 'Sadhu' (saint). Maharaj suggested that CM Dhami and his cabinet were aware of this refusal. Perhaps Pushkar Singh Dhami and his cabinet read and saw that statement of mine, he added. The controversy reportedly deepened when Maharaj had previously referred to CM Dhami as a 'Sadhu' while still being associated with the Congress. According to Maharaj, this characterisation drew ire from the party high command in Delhi. I was told from Delhi to retract that statement while expressing regret, he revealed. When questioned by the Congress about why he called the Chief Minister a 'Sadhu', Maharaj offered a philosophical explanation: A 'Sadhu' accepts truth with simplicity, ease, and willingness. He elaborated that sainthood is not about attire, markings, or typical memorisation of scriptures. The scriptures state that God is not dependent on any action, ritual, or rite. Therefore, anyone who accepts the truth with simplicity, ease, and willingness is a 'Sadhu'. Maharaj directly accused his former party of malicious intent, stating, The character of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was completely clean; his image was spotless, but the Congress party wanted to defame the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. Acharya Pramod Krishnam Maharaj has a long history with the Congress party, having served as a Member of Parliament and held several significant organisational posts over nearly four decades. However, his association ended last year when the Congress suspended him from the party for six years in the run-up to the 2024 general elections.