Hathras Stampede: Seventeen years ago, Intelligence Department cop Suraj Pal Singh resigned from his job and reinvented himself with a new identity. This new identity was that of Narayan Sakar Hari. His style was entirely different from that of traditional saints and preachers. Dressed in a suit and tie, with dark sunglasses, he sat on a shining silver throne on stage, accompanied by his wife on a chair beside him. There were no religious materials or offerings of fruits and flowers. Starting from the districts of Uttar Pradesh, his “empire of faith” spread to many states, reaching villages across the country. Keeping a distance from the police, administration, politicians, and media, he became known as ‘Bhole Baba — the deity of the poor and marginalised society’.
