LUCKNOW: Religious preacher Narayan Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba, who had organised the 'satsang sabha' (religious congregation) which ended in a massive stampede claiming hundreds of lives including women and children, while leaving scores injured in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday afternoon, is not new to controversy.
According to local sources, Suraj Pal or 'Bhole Baba', as he is called by his followers, hails from Bahadur Nagari village in the Patiyali area of Kasganj district. He left his job in the state police to become a preacher around two decades ago. The Baba also enjoys following in other states like Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and Haryana as well.
According to local sources, Bhole Baba claims to have had a divine vision after leaving his job in the police force, which inspired him to start organizing large religious gatherings ('sabhas') that attract huge congregations of followers. He holds these 'satsangs' every Tuesday and recently conducted a similar event in Mainpuri district a week before the tragic incident in Hathras.
Bhole Baba had courted controversy during the pandemic period when he sought permission for a such a Satsang Sabha in Farrukhabad district in May 2022 to be attended by only 50 people. However, the congregation grew to over 50,000.
After the Hathras stampede, Bhole Baba is absconding and the UP police has launched a hunt for him. Even none of the organisers of the Satsang Sabha which devoured so many lives are at large with their mobile phones going switched off.