New Delhi: Godman Dhirendra Krishna Shastri’s recent suggestions on Indians having four children and dedicating one to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Maharashtra have incited a political firestorm.
Shastri (29), also known as Bageshwar Baba, is the head of the Bageshwar Dham temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district. He made the remarks in the presence of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in April 2026 at a public rally in Jamtha, Nagpur.
“It’s my appeal to the entire nation: Have four children, but give at least one to RSS so that they become useful in saving others,” Shastri said in Hindi at the Sabha in Nagpur.
He heaped praise upon the RSS at the event.
“When the nation faces a disaster, people run to save themselves, but RSS workers don’t flee; instead, they save the lives of others,” he added.
He also said he was hoping for an “Akhand Bharat” under Bhagwat’s leadership.
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The controversy
NCP MLA Rohit Pawar didn’t appreciate Shastri’s words.
“This is utterly infuriating, and he should not be seen in Maharashtra again, as it would cost him and the government dearly,” he said.
For AICC national secretary Sachin Sawant, it was “utter nonsense”.
“This Bageshwar Baba went even further with his nonsense. Have four kids and give one to the RSS; then how are you supposed to raise and educate the other three? Explain that as well,” he said.
Shastri issued a clarification and said that his remarks were misinterpreted and misrepresented.
“The purpose behind this is to make your child a nationalist. Whether you dedicate him to the RSS, the army, or make him a collector, keep his ideology consistent with the RSS so that he can continue to wave the flag of god and spread Hindutva,” he said.
He insisted that he never intended to impose such views on anyone and maintained that his comments were meant to encourage cultural and social awareness rather than dictate personal choices.
Fadnavis backed Shastri and offered his own explanation.
“What he (Shastri) meant was since the RSS is working to keep the Hindu culture and Sanatan traditional alive, one son of a house should join the Sangh,” Fadnavis said.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)