Key Points
REVDANDA: The grand show set up on Sunday last week for Union Home Minister Amit Shah to confer Maharashtra Bhushan, the highest civilian award, on 77-year-old Appasaheb Dharmadhikari, in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, drew in over 10 lakh of the spiritual leaders followers, 14 of whom perished from heat stroke..
In the course of the week, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, himself a follower of Appasaheb, has not been able to live down the criticism stemming from the tragedy, which could have been averted if organisers of the event had covered the open area where the followers had converged, to protect them from the searing April heat...
His father, late Nanasaheb Dharmadhikari laid the foundation of the groups work in Raigad district in 1943 by organising a Shri Baithak (meeting) based on the Dasbodh (verses) written by Saint Samarth Ramdas, a 17th century saint, who set up many Hanuman temples and encouraged the youth to focus on physical well-being..
While Shinde calls himself a Shree Sadasya, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, union transport minister Nitin Gadkari, Raigad MP and NCP leader Sunil Tatkare and NCP MP Supriya Sule have visited Revdanda to meet him at one time or the other...
While largely, Dharmadhikaris fandom remains undented despite Sundays incident most of them do not connect the Kharghar lapse with the spiritual leader notes of dissent are being heard from certain sections, stoked by Appasahebs post-event silence...
