Overview

• Akhilesh Yadav accused Dhirendra Shastri of accepting undisclosed payments and said many kathavachaks charge ₹50 lakh per event.
• The controversy follows the June 22 incident in Etawah, where two non-Brahmin kathavachaks were humiliated and forcibly tonsured after villagers learned of their caste.
• Authorities detained four residents of Dandarpur village in connection with the assault and deployed additional forces to calm community tensions.
• Officials invoked the new justice code to transfer the case to the Jhansi Range, a mechanism intended for higher judicial oversight of sensitive matters.
• Neither Dhirendra Shastri nor senior BJP figures have issued a response to the allegations raised by Akhilesh Yadav.