Temple cleaned after visit from Prashant Kishor and Muslim candidate

A dispute has broken out in Bihar’s Madhubani district after priests at the Kapileshwar Nath Mahadev Temple carried out a purification ritual soon after a visit by Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor and his party’s Muslim candidate, Parvez Alam.

The incident took place late on Tuesday when Kishor and Alam entered the temple’s sanctum sanctorum to offer prayers to Lord Shiva and other deities. After their visit, temple priests reportedly used panchgavya—a mixture of milk, curd, ghee, cow urine, and cow dung—along with Gangajal to cleanse the inner shrine, describing it as a ritual purification.

One of the priests, Shrawan Kumar, said he had been told in advance about Kishor’s visit and had arranged the necessary prayer items. He mentioned that Kishor arrived around 7:30 p.m., shortly before the temple’s closing time, accompanied by his party’s candidate, Maktoob Media reported.

The priest explained that the puja was conducted as planned, and he was unaware at the time that one of the visitors was Muslim, since the candidate was dressed in traditional Mithila clothing.

Kumar reportedly commented that if Kishor wished to promote harmony, he should perform a Rudra Abhishek in a mosque as well. Following the visit, some locals objected to a Muslim entering the sanctum, after which the priests decided to perform the purification ceremony.

Parvez Alam, the Muslim candidate in question, is contesting from the Benipatti assembly constituency in Madhubani district on a Jan Suraaj Party ticket.