The Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand Mukti Morcha government has registered an FIR against Bharatiya Janata Party MPs Nishikant Dubey and Manoj Tiwari, along with several associates, for allegedly violating restrictions at the revered Baba Baidyanath Temple in Deoghar on August 2.
According to the complaint lodged by a temple priest, the leaders entered the garbha griha between 8:45 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., during the sacred kancha jal puja. At the time, VIP and VVIP entries had been suspended for the Shravan month due to the overwhelming footfall. Authorities allege their entry disrupted prayers, caused crowd agitation, and triggered a scuffle with security personnel, creating a stampede-like situation.
The FIR, registered on August 7 at Baba Baidyanath Mandir Police Station, names Nishikant Dubey, Manoj Tiwari, Kanshikanat Dubey, Sheshadri Dubey, and others. The charges include:
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Hurting religious traditions and sentiments
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Obstructing government work
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Engaging in a scuffle with security personnel
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A police officer told PTI the leaders “entered the inner shrine despite clear restrictions” and “caused disruption during peak pilgrimage hours.”
Shravan Mela Context and Restrictions
The Shravan Mela draws lakhs of kanwariyas from across India, who carry Ganga water from Sultanganj in Bihar to offer at Baba Baidyanath Dham, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. With an estimated 55 lakh devotees visiting this year, temple authorities had suspended VIP entry to ensure smooth public darshan.
Leaders Respond, Surrender Declined
Manoj Tiwari has not issued a public statement, but Nishikant Dubey took to X to call the FIR politically motivated:
“This case has been registered for worshipping… So far 51 cases have been registered against me. Tomorrow, I will go straight to the police station from Deoghar airport for my arrest.”
On August 9, Nishikant Dubey went to the Baba Baidyanath Mandir Police Station to surrender, but police declined to arrest him, stating the case required processing by the MP-MLA court. Dubey has also filed a privilege complaint under Article 105 of the Constitution against the Jharkhand Chief Secretary, the Director General of Police, the Deoghar Deputy Commissioner, and the Superintendent of Police.
He has emphasised his deep personal and cultural connection to the temple, noting he is a trustee, a tirth purohit, and was born in Deoghar.
Absurdity or Enforcement?
While the government frames the FIR as enforcement of crowd-control rules, the sheer volume of cases against Nishikant Dubey, 51 in total, has fuelled speculation of political vendetta. Critics point out the rarity of an MP being booked for temple entry, particularly when he is part of the temple trust. The fact that police refused to arrest him upon voluntary surrender only adds to the sense of procedural theatre rather than genuine law enforcement.
Political Undercurrents
Observers note that Nishikant Dubey has been one of the most vocal BJP parliamentarians in criticising the Hemant Soren government. He has also, in the past, been outspoken in Parliament and the media about the alleged wrongdoings of the Gandhi family. While this case is officially about a temple-entry violation, supporters allege it is part of a broader pattern of targeting an MP who has repeatedly embarrassed political opponents at both the state and national levels.
Whether this is strict enforcement or selective prosecution remains contested, but the optics of filing an FIR over late-night darshan during a religious festival, especially against a locally born temple trustee, seem political.
Final Thoughts
The Baba Baidyanath Mandir is one of Hinduism’s most sacred sites, and crowd-control measures during Shravan are essential. But when enforcement turns into a cascade of cases against a single MP, now numbering 51, the line between governance and political score-settling begins to blur.
