Indian army chief meets Hindu leader, pressed to annex Pakistan-administered Kashmir
Army chief’s visit to Swami Rambhadracharya raises concerns over ties with Hindu nationalist figures known for anti-minority rhetoric
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi visited a controversial Hindu spiritual leader, Swami Rambhadracharya, on Wednesday at his hermitage in Chitrakoot, a religious town in northern India, where he was ceremonially “initiated” with a Ram Mantra and symbolically asked to return Pakistan-administered Kashmir as a form of dakshina — a traditional offering to one’s guru.
“I gave him the same Diksha that Maa Sita gave to Hanuman before his conquest of Lanka. As dakshina, I asked him for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir,” Rambhadracharya said, drawing an overt parallel between a mythological battle and India’s modern territorial conflict with Pakistan.
During the visit, the army chief also inaugurated a medical simulator at Sadguru Netra Chikitsalaya, a hospital linked to the spiritual leader’s organization.
But Swami Rambhadracharya is far from a benign religious figure. Known widely for his political posturing and incendiary statements, the guru has long been associated with casteist, hateful, and anti-democratic rhetoric.
Despite being honored with India’s second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, in 2015, his public record is riddled with controversy.
He once described those who do not worship Lord Ram as “chamars” — a caste slur directed at Dalit communities (members of India’s historically oppressed castes). He has frequently made derogatory comments about Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of India’s constitution and a champion of Dalit rights, Buddhism, and other lower-caste movements, sparking backlash from Dalit organizations and social justice activists.
His proximity to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is also well-documented.
In past speeches, he urged the public to vote for Modi and even claimed that those who didn’t were “descendants of Manthara” — referring to a treacherous character in Hindu mythology blamed for Hindu deity Ram’s exile.
He has also supported hardline Hindutva narratives that call for the demolition of historical mosques based on the unproven claim that they were built atop destroyed temples.
Rambhadracharya echoed these views, saying, “Our struggle to reclaim our temples will continue, and we will make every possible effort to achieve this.” His remarks align with campaigns targeting historical sites like Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi and Shahi Eidgah in Mathura.
His influence in the decades-long Ayodhya dispute over the Babri Masjid was significant. In 2003, he appeared as an expert witness before the Allahabad High Court, citing Hindu scriptures to assert that Lord Ram was born at the site. His testimony played a key role in shaping the 2010 verdict that ruled in favor of Hindu litigants—ultimately paving the way for the Ram Mandir’s construction at the location of the 400-year-old Babri Masjid, which had been demolished by a Hindu mob on December 6, 1992.
While the Indian army has made no official comment on the symbolic “dakshina” request of annexing Pakistan-administered Kashmir, the public association between India’s top military leadership and a figure known for casteist and communal rhetoric has raised questions about the growing fusion of militarism, religious nationalism, and far-right ideology in India.
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