Hathras stampede: Who is cop turned religious preacher Bhole Baba?

However, this Baba, who became very popular attracting even senior political leaders to his meetings, did not don saffron clothes and kept a low-profile. He also did not have a very prominent social media presence. Despite a large following of devotees, information about his life is scarce and seems to be under wraps.

What was unusual about this Baba is that he dressed up in a white suit or a simple white kurta and operated out of the glare of the media. So, who is this shadowy figure who has wreaked havoc on so many lives?

Baba's background

Bhole Baba’s real name is Surajpal. He is a native of Bahadur Nagar in Kasganj district, and is the son a farmer. He joined the UP police and was a head constable working with the Intelligence Unit for nearly two decades, according to reports.

In 1999, he took voluntary retirement from the service, changed his name to Narayan Saakar Hari and began conducting satsangs (religious sermons). He told his devotees that he felt an inclination towards spirituality and world peace and he gave up his job to walk on a spiritual path.

He has no children and takes his wife Prem Bati along with him wherever he goes and there are pictures on social media showing her seated beside him at a 'satsang'. Surajpal belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community.

One of Surajpal's three brothers died and he set up a Trust and appointed a caretaker for his property in Bahadurgarh where his ashram is located, the police told PTI.

He also claims he does not keep any money offered to him by followers at his satsangs and distributes it among his followers.

Who are his followers?

Bhole Baba has a substantial following among poor people in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, especially in areas like Agra and Aligarh division of Braj region. Though he lacks an official presence on social media, Facebook and YouTube are filled with clips of his preachings, and there are updates about his upcoming satsangs. There are also tributes to his alleged divine powers to relieve human suffering.

How he allegedly helped a poor man pay up his ₹4 lakh loan which he had taken to start a business which had failed.

After he established his ashram in Bahadur Nagar, Bhole Baba's fame grew rapidly among the poor and deprived sections and lakhs of people became his followers, according to locals.

Various MPs and MLA are believed to have attended his ‘satsang’, which are mostly organised on Tuesdays. From former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Prem Chand Bairwa, senior political and influential figures have often visited his congregations to woo the electorate that are under his sway.

The Baba's popularity was growing and this is evident in a video of his congregation in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur earlier this year. There are police vehicles escorting his convoy to the venue.

Baba Bhole's teachings

Ironically, To control the large crowds that turn up for his satsangs, the godman has a security team named "Narayani Sena" that consists of men and women guards who escort him from his ashram to the satsang locations. A person from Hathras said, "Baba conducts sermons and keeps his own volunteers for security who take care of the arrangements of his satsang." 

Believed not to be a follower of any ‘guru’, Baba claims to be preaching directly from God. His talks revolve around humanity, brotherhood, respect for all living beings, and non-violence.

According to the Baba, all donations or offerings received at his congregations are distributed among his followers.

To his followers, Baba is not just a godman or guru but a God himself.

What's on social media?

Though he does not have a direct social media presence, there are many channels creating content about the Baba and his activities. While many channels create bhajans in his name, others provide updates about his upcoming programmess and how to book a slot to gain entry into his satsangs. The social media content seems to be generated to portray him as an all-knowing and caring being. 

What are the controversies surrounding him?

Even though the self-styled godman keeps a low-profile, he has been embroiled in a major controversy during Covid. In 2022, he held a similar satsang to the ill-fated one in Hathras, in UP's Farrukhabad during the Covid pandemic. While the district administration only permitted 50 people to attend the event over 50,000 people reached the site to attend the programme.

The large crowd led to significant traffic snarls in the area and raised concerns of spread of Covid at that time.