Spiritual leader Bhaiyyu Maharaj shot himself at his Silver Springs Township home in Indore, Madhya Pradesh on the afternoon of Tuesday,12 June. The model-turned-spiritual leader died shortly after at a hospital in Indore.
Born Uday Singh Deshmukh in 1968, Bhaiyyu Maharaj came from a family of agriculturists in Shujalpur, Madhya Pradesh. He worked as a model in his youth, and went on to become a spiritual guru who mingled with many powerful politicians in India.
His friends, many powerful politicians, maintain that he was involved in welfare and development projects, but was never interested in politics.
He was such a young, dynamic person. He had a very large circle of friends in Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. He was keenly involved in rural development and farmers’ distress. He mixed spirituality with development, but never dabbled in politics.Prithviraj Chavan, Former Chief Minister, Maharashtra
Bhaiyyu Maharaj’s Tango With Politics
Maharaj was introduced to former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, by then Nationalist Congress Party minister Anil Deshmukh. The spiritual leader reportedly used his influence in the Maratha regions to increase the voter base for Deshmukh.
Additionally, his influence in Maharashtra’s political circles grew stronger through his proximity to Deshmukh.
In recent years, Bhaiyyu Maharaj was reported to have grown close to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat, and was also offered the post of the minister of state in Madhya Pradesh by the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government.
Maharaj, however, refused to accept the position, citing a lack of interest in politics.
He was also invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when the latter undertook a 'sadbhavna fast' during his tenure as the chief minister of Gujarat.
Shocked to hear the news of sudden demise of spiritual leader Bhaiyyuji Maharaj in Indore. My sincere condolences. May his soul rest in eternal peace.Suresh Prabhu, Former Railways Minister
A Friend of the Thackerays
Maharaj reportedly grew close to Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray in 2008. Both Balasaheb Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray used to regularly meet Maharaj at his home in Mumbai’s Matoshree.
Balasaheb's funeral in 2012 was reportedly overseen by Maharaj, and he was present with the Thackeray family throughout the entire episode.
‘Can’t Believe What Caused This’
Bhaiyyu Maharaj was a renowned name in the political circles of both Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. On hearing the news of his alleged suicide, CM Chouhan said:
My tribute to saint Bhaiyyuji Maharaj. The country has lost a person who was a confluence of culture, knowledge & selfless service.
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, in a statement to CNN News18, said:
He had great human qualities, I can’t believe what caused this tragic event. He was such a young, dynamic person with many friends in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
Relations With Anna Hazare
Bhaiyyu Maharaj came into the political mainstream in 2011, during political activist Anna Hazare’s anti-graft agitation. Some reports claim he played a pivotal role in talking Hazare into ending his fast. About the incident, he then said:
A Cabinet minister requested me to have a dialogue with Annaji. I have known him for over a decade now. So, I thought I should do my duty as a responsible citizen. I do social work and understand the language of a common man.Bhaiyyu Maharaj
An unnamed official involved in the negotiations with Hazare stated to The Economic Times:
He was instrumental in getting Anna to nominate Medha Patkar and Prashant Bhushan to negotiate with the government and helped in alienating Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi who were the rigid elements in the Anna camp. His relationship with Nitin Gadkari and LK Advani also came in handy on getting the BJP on board.
Controversies Surrounding Bhaiyyu Maharaj
An official from the Hazare camp refuted the claim that Maharaj played a key role in negotiations with Hazare. In a statement to The Economic Times, the official said former Maharashtra CM Vilasrao Deshmukh was the man who did the negotiation with Hazare, and not Bhaiyyuji Maharaj:
Bhaiyyu Maharaj hardly played a role. Moreover, Anna had to conserve his energy and there was no question of any long drawn conversations with such emissaries. In the penultimate stage, it was union minister Vilasrao Deshmukh who acted as the mediator and finally handed over the prime minister’s letter to Annaji.
Following his reported involvement in Hazare’s protest, Maharaj’s spiritual outfit came under scrutiny. However, he dismissed doubts about the outfit’s funding, stating, "We do not have more than Rs 10 lakhs in our trust – Shree Sadguru Datat Dharmik Evam Parmarthik Trust – at any point".
In 2017, the self-proclaimed spiritual guru courted controversy once more, on his wedding day, after a woman, who claimed to be an actress, accused him of "cheating" on her and termed him a "trickster".
(With inputs from The Economic Times and PTI)
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