Since the tragic stampede at the religious event of self-styled godman Suraj Pal in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras that killed at least 121 people, the preacher, popularly known as Narayan Sakar Hari or 'Bhole Baba', remains untraceable.
Hailing from the Jatav sub-caste, Hari enjoys the stature of a highly revered godman amongst the members of his community. Besides tens of thousands of devotees from the Dalit community, his religious gatherings also attract several political figures.
Polpularity of Bhole Baba's 'satsang's
Despite zero usage of any means of extensive publicity, Narayan Sakar Hari still has managed to become the leading spiritual face of the Dalit community.
The centre point of attraction for his religious gatherings are the sessions where he addresses and claims to cure illnesses and dispel evil spirits.
The 'satsang's are organised on every first Tuesday of the month where around five lakh people gather.
Hari’s spirutual and political influence spans 16 districts in Uttar Pradesh, including Firozabad, Etawah, Kanpur, and Agra.
Bhole Baba: Political connections
Despite no direct engagement in politics, Narayan Sakar Hari has a significant reach into the political realm as the list of his followers include prominent political figures, with former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and several BJP leaders attending his events.
Besides, Babu Ram Paswan, a two-time BJP MLA from Puranpur, holds a close connection with Bhole Baba. It is widely known that Paswan's connection with Narayan Sakar Hari has strengthened his political career.
