One-second darshan at Deoghar's Baidyanath Dham triggers VIP-vs-commoner debate
India Today
A clip of devotees being pushed in the sanctum of Deoghar's Baidyanath Dham made BJP MP Nishikant Dubey slam the Hemant Soren government. However, it has triggered a larger debate on the treatment meted out to common people and the privilege given to VIPs.
A short clip of devotees being systematically pushed as a crowd-control measure in the sanctum of the Baidyanth Dham in Jharkhand's Deoghar has gone viral with debating the difference in treatment to VIPs and the common people. One person said devotees were "treated like animals" while politicians, bureaucrats and the wealthy got preferential treatment.
The viral showed security personnel "manhandling" devotees who had gathered for darshan. In the video, security personnel and staff were seen shoving and pushing away a rush of devotees, each of whom were afforded a few seconds of darshan at most before being unceremoniously ejected.
The Baba Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar, Jharkhand, is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, making it one of Hinduism's holiest temples. Lord Shiva is worshipped here as Baidyanath, meaning the "healer".
The clip sparked criticism of the temple's management, with users alleging "widespread mismanagement".
Nishikant Dubey, a BJP MP from Jharkhand, who has frequently locked horns with the Hemant Soren-led government on issues surrounding the temple, blamed Soren for the situation.
"The chairman of this temple is Hemant Soren. His government is being supported by the Indian National Congress. From 2019 till now (2026), not a single meeting has been held. I myself have been fighting a case in the Jharkhand High Court since 2023 regarding its management and the queue complex," Dubey posted on X on Thursday.
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