An incident in Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, has created a stir in social and political circles. The matter started with allegations of molestation against Kathavachak Mukut Mani followed by an assault on him and his associates, which was later presented as a caste dispute. The incident has now taken a socio-political turn with some trying to portray it as a Brahmin vs OBC-Dalit dispute.
There are several angles to be considered during this entire episode – caste sensitivity, the tendency to immediately rush to social media and give reactions without knowing facts of the case, and issues like the character of the Kathavachak.
In this article, we will understand these matters in detail. Along with this, we will also see that there has been no caste issue regarding Kathavachaks in the Sanatan tradition. We will also give examples of those Kathavachaks who are non-Brahmins. We will also tell you the reason for this particular case going viral, and how some people started playing their caste politics by targeting Brahmins without knowing the facts of the case
What is the Etawah case all about matter related to Etawah
Shrimad Bhagwat Katha was organized on 21 June 2025 in Dandarpur village of Bakewar police station area of Etawah. Kathavachak Mukut Mani and his associate Sant Singh Vyas were called by a Brahmin family for the Katha. Renu Tiwari, a woman from the host family, and her husband Jai Prakash Tiwari have said that the Kathavachak behaved indecently during and after the Katha.
The victim Renu says that the Kathavachak held her hand with wrong intentions during the Kalash Yatra and when it was opposed, he threatened that he is a relative of Samajwadi Party (SP) National President Akhilesh Yadav.
After this, the matter took a turn towards becoming a caste issue after it came to light that the Kathavachak had hidden his caste. Two Aadhar cards were found with him, in one of them, it was mentioned that he is a Brahmin (Agnihotri). The dispute escalated when the villagers came to know about his real caste (Yadav) and on the night of June 22, some people beat up the Kathavachak and his aides, and cut their braids. Four people were arrested after a case was registered against two named and 50 unidentified persons in Bakewar police station.
This incident sparked tension in the area. The Brahmin Mahasabha called it a conspiracy against Brahmins and demanded action against the Kathavachaks, while the Samajwadi Party and Yadav Mahasabha portrayed it as harassment of OBC-Dalit community by Brahmins. The matter also became a hot topic of discussion on social media and many people started targeting Brahmins without knowing the entire truth.
There is no caste barrier to become a Kathavachak in Sanatan Dharma
There has been no caste barrier to become a Kathavachak or for devotion in Sanatan Dharma. This tradition has been going on since ancient times and the biggest example of this is the ‘Vyadh Geeta’ of Mahabharata. In this story, a hunter (Vyadh), who was from a lower caste community, preaches karma and dharma to a Brahmin. These preaching are considered as important as the Bhagavad Gita. In the Sanatan tradition, caste has never come in the way of knowledge and devotion.
Even in modern times, there are many non-Brahmin Kathavachaks who are respected in the society and who are followed by millions of people. This can also be understood from some examples –
Morari Bapu: Gujarat’s famous Kathavachak Morari Bapu comes from the Bania community. His tales of Ramcharitmanas are heard by millions of people in the country and abroad. His devotees include people from every section of the society.
Acharya Manorama Singh Yadav: This Kathavachak from Uttar Pradesh narrates Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran and Ramkatha. Millions of people watch YouTube videos of her tales. Despite being from the Yadav community, she is respected by every section.
Neelam Yadav Shastri: She is also a popular Kathavachak, whose bhajans and stories are especially popular among women. Her events are attended by huge crowds and she is also a non-Brahmin.
Hemraj Singh Yadav: The videos of this Kathavachak, who does a unique blend of comedy and devotion, are always viral on social media. People from every section also attend his tales. Similarly, Manjesh Singh Yadav is also a famous Kathavachak.
कथावाचक सरिता यादव
कथावाचक नीलम यादव
कथावाचक मनोरमा सिंह यादव
कथावाचक मंगेश यादवइनको किसी ने नहीं रोका!!
-क्योंकि ये अपना असली नाम छुपा कर फ्रॉड नहीं कर रहे हैं!! https://t.co/D3M4Hzr5zN pic.twitter.com/jOjblmea4j— Dr. Neha Das (@neha_laldas) June 23, 2025
Dr. Brajesh Yadav: Surgeon Dr. Brajesh Yadav of Bareilly distributes copies of Ramcharitmanas. He instills the message of ‘becoming a Ram devotee’ to everyone and enjoys a large following.
Hanuman Prasad Poddar: His Ramcharitmanas ki Tika published by Gita Press Gorakhpur is the most widely read in the world today. He was also a non-Brahmin. Thanks to people like Hanuman Prasad Poddar, Sanatan culture is present in every corner of the world today. He targeted the opponents of Sanatan, even if they were Brahmin Prime Ministers of the country like Jawaharlal Nehru, and he never backed down from the fight for Sanatan. Hanuman Prasad Poddar was never a Kathavachak, rather he was the protector, propagator and pioneer of Sanatan.
These examples prove that there is no caste barrier to becoming Kathavachak in the Sanatan tradition. Even in villages, the priests of most temples are from non-Brahmin communities. Anyone who has faith in the religion can worship in the temple. Yet some people look at every incident from the prism of Brahmin vs non-Brahmin and try to promote social unrest.
Akhilesh Yadav playing politics on Etawah case
This Etawah case soon started taking political colour. Samajwadi Party leaders, especially Akhilesh Yadav, presented it as OBC-Dalit oppression by Brahmins. SP district president Pradeep Shakya rejected the allegations of Brahmin Mahasabha and said that if there was any objection against the Kathavachaks, then why was no complaint made earlier. On the other hand, Brahmin Mahasabha President Arun Dubey called it a conspiracy against Brahmins and demanded action against the Kathavachaks.
Some people also started targeting Brahmins on Social Media through videos and posts without knowing the entire truth. Videos and posts made immediately after the incident, with half truths, went viral, in which Brahmins were described as casteists and oppressors. This trend is serious, because it not only increases social tension but also weakens the unity of Sanatan tradition.
Odisha example – Another case of false propaganda and targeting of upper castes
The Etawah case is not an isolated one. Recently, 40 members of a Scheduled Tribe (ST) family were ‘purified’ in Baigangoda village in Odisha’s Rayagada district because one of their young girls had married a Scheduled Caste (SC) boy. The village panchayat ordered the family to shave their heads and perform animal sacrifice. The video of the incident went viral on social media and some people attacked Brahmins and upper castes by calling it ‘Manuvadi supremacy’ and ‘oppression by upper castes’.
However, it later came to light that the ritual was performed by the family as per their own will following tribal traditions and no upper caste community had any role in it. Yet some handles on social media like ‘Tribal Army’ used it to target the upper castes and the BJP-RSS.
Several other handles also propagated this false propaganda to target the Brahmin community.
Why do Brahmins become easy targets
There are many reasons behind the repeated targeting of the Brahmin community. First, Brahmins are considered a symbol of social and religious traditions, due to which some people easily target them by calling them “Manuvadi” or ‘casteist’. Second, the Brahmin community usually does not play ‘victim’, due to which some people consider it as their weakness. Third – political parties and some people active on social media capitalize on such incidents for their vested interests.
In the Etawah case, the Samajwadi Party used it as an opportunity to divide Hindus and defame Brahmins. Leaders like Akhilesh Yadav gave it the colour of social discrimination without knowing the entire truth. Even on social media, some people immediately made videos and started cursing Brahmins, without understanding that the Kathavachak himself had misbehaved and hidden his caste.
Social expectations from Kathavachaks
A Kathavachak is highly respected in the society. He is expected to be pure, moral and simple. In the Etawah case, serious allegations like molestation and intimidation have been leveled against Kathavachak Mukut Mani. Apart from this, a fake Aadhaar card in his possession has also raised suspicion. Now, the question arises whether it is wrong to question the purity of a Kathavachak? And if a Kathavachak does comething wrong, should he be defended on the basis of his caste?
In the Sanatan tradition, the religion and conduct of the Kathavachak is paramount, not his caste. If a Kathavachak does something wrong, he should be criticized, no matter which community he belongs to. But it is wrong to use it as an opportunity to attack the entire community. In the Etawah case, some people used it against Brahmins, which is not only unfair but also harmful to social unity.
The need to understand the truth
The Dandarpur case in Etawah is a complex social and legal issue, involving several aspects like assault, molestation, and caste dispute. The police have arrested four people in the case, and the SSP has assured a fair investigation after hearing both sides. But presenting the case as Brahmin vs OBC-Dalit and giving quick reactions on social media is only increasing social tension.
In the Sanatan tradition, there is no caste barrier to becoming a Kathavachak. Non-Brahmin scholars-Kathavachaks like Morari Bapu, Manorama Singh Yadav, Neelam Yadav and Hanuman Prasad Poddar have proved that the basis of devotion and knowledge is conduct and faith, not caste. Yet some people make every incident an opportunity to campaign against Brahmins, which is not only wrong but also weakens the unity of Hindu society.
The law should do its job in this case. Serious allegations like assault and molestation should be investigated impartially and the culprits should be punished. But at the same time, society also needs to understand that targeting a particular community without knowing the entire truth is not only unfair but also dangerous. We have to avoid such politics and propaganda which works to divide the society.
The original article can be read on OpIndia Hindi here.
