The Varanasi police have dismissed the allegations that a group of policemen was standing near the dancers and recording the dance act on their mobile phones when the vulgar dance was taking place during the Baba Lat Bhairav baarat procession.

What is the occasion?

The dance in this incident at the famous Lat Bhairav Temple during the annual Baba Lat Bhairav baraat procession has sparked serious discussions.

The festivities include wedding rituals for the deity, such as a haldi ceremony, with women singing traditional wedding songs and dancing.

On the main celebration night, dancers perform music and dance as an offering to Baba Lat Bhairav. Local reports describe this as a devotional tradition connected with his annual vivahotsav.

Why the Uproar?

In the videos that are circulating on social media, it can be seen that young girls in revealing attire are dancing to vulgar songs, while the crowd consisting of young boys is also appearing to show vulgar enthusiasm.

In the videos, it also appears that some of the police personnel are recording the dance moves made by the young girls. The attire of those young girls appears to ghaghra and sleeveless choli.

Police Dismisses Allegations

There are two videos that are allegedly being spread on social media. One of the videos is being taken from the ground where the public is standing and enjoying the vulgar dance. Related to that video, the DCP, Kashi Zone, says the following:

“The video is circulated in such a manner that a lot of policemen are standing on the stage, and such a video is purely AI-generated because the video which is made by the public standing below shows that policemen are not near the women who are dancing. This is totally AI Generated and we have registered an FIR in the police station and relevant actions will be taken against those who will spread such videos with an intent to tarnish the reputation of the police.” said Gaurav Banswal, DCP, Kashi Zone

However, there is another video taken from above the ground, regarding which the police did not give any clarification.

Netizens Slam the Dance

Netizens on X have condemned the dance and attire of those young girls and questioned the logic of the temple management to organize such an event portraying women in bad taste.

As per Ajay Sharma, who is the president of Sanatan Rakshak Dal, such performances have started only in recent years.