New Delhi: Spiritual influencer Abhinav Arora, only 10 years old, but who commands a following on social media, has claimed to have received death threats allegedly from the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang, after several people alleged that the minor had defamed religion through his actions and videos.
The death threats according to Abhinav's father, Tarun Raj Arora, include phrases like "We will kill you" and "You are defaming religion."
These threats follow a series of videos portraying the minor as a "great devotee" of Lord Krishna, which have thrust him into the public spotlight. His father, Tarun Raj Arora, has denied the allegations, asserting that these threats against the minor are part of a larger 'agenda'. He also revealed that police traced the threats to the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) region and assured protection after the incident.
Abhinav's father said "Do you think I am foolish enough to create a story with his name? The truth behind these allegations will be determined by the police. Yes, the day this problem occurred, that very night, Mathura police provided us with protection. But the whole issue unfolded after the court case... What I know is that the police have traced calls from around the POK area, and according to them, the calls came from there."
Abhinav's father explained that these threats included statements like "We will kill you," "We will cut you down," and "You are defaming religion." He dismissed these claims, calling them part of a larger propaganda. "What do you think? Suddenly someone started targeting Abhinav? Everyone has the intelligence to determine that this was a campaign, part of a larger agenda," Abhinav's father alleged.
When asked why he believes he is being specifically targeted, especially when other children also claim to be spiritual leaders, Abhinav's father said, "The reason I believe I am being targeted is because Abhinav has received awards and recognition, and perhaps some people are jealous of his success."
"Another important point is that people have realized that if they make videos against me, they will go viral. So, YouTubers are easily making videos against Abhinav," the boy's father added.
When questioned if these YouTubers are spreading lies without knowing Abhinav's side of the story, his father said, "These allegations (against Abhinav by the YouTubers) are baseless and have no connection to reality."
In a video spiritual leader Jagadguru Rambhadracharya is seen calling Abhinav a fool and telling him to get off the stage. Abhinav addressed the incident calmly. "Why is it being blown out of proportion? When such a big spiritual leader called me a fool, I took it as a blessing. When such a great saint called me a fool, what's the big deal? When this incident happened at Rambhadracharya's residence, I shouted the name of Ram, which broke the sanctity of the platform. Afterward, I corrected myself, and if such a great seer scolded me, I took it as a blessing to improve."
Abhinav was asked if he had ever told his parents that he wanted to stop making videos due to the fear of trolling and attacks. He replied, "No, I want to continue spreading the message of spirituality and devotion. I am dedicated to the path of devotion and will keep following this path." When further questioned about his safety and whether he feared an attack, Abhinav said, "See, this whole trolling issue is very wrong. Before becoming a good speaker, one must first be a good listener."
Further, Abhinav also expressed great disappointment at the suggestion of taking a break from videos. "Why should we stop? We start attaining Bhakti from the womb."
When asked if Abhinav's life of devotion (Bhakti) is far more important than the limelight and whether his safety should be a priority, his father responded, "If I had forced Abhinav into devotion, I would have had the right to make that decision. But since Abhinav claims to have found devotion on his own, I would be committing a great sin if I took that away from him. This is a slap in the face of the selfish YouTubers who have made videos against him for personal gain, without knowing his side of the story."
"If today Abhinav stops, it would be a victory for those selfish YouTubers who made videos against him," Abhinav's father added. (ANI)