Kunda MLA Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya organised Shastra Puja at Benti Palace
PRAYAGRAJ: “An elephant has different tusks for display and eating,” Kunda MLA and Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) president Raghuraj Pratap Singh, alias Raja Bhaiya, remarked on Tuesday as he worshipped a collection of more than 500 weapons at his Benti Palace in Pratapgarh on Dussehra.The display once again brought the politician’s long-standing tradition of Shastra Puja into the spotlight.Raja Bhaiya, clad in a dhoti-kurta and saffron turban, performed the ritual from around 1 pm to 3 pm amid Vedic chants.His twin sons, Shivraj and Brijraj, joined him, while block chiefs, the district panchayat president’s representative and hundreds of supporters also participated, carrying their own weapons.
Licences and identification slips were placed alongside the weapons, according to the organisers.Addressing those present, Singh said Shastra Puja on Vijayadashami had been a tradition since ancient times and that everyone attending the ceremony was part of his “family”.He said they were committed to protecting the country and religion. Referring to the large number of weapons on display, he added that these were not the only weapons available to them, using the elephant-tusk analogy.
He also described the ceremony as an old family tradition and called for greater awareness of India’s cultural heritage. He urged people, particularly youngsters, to wear indigenous clothes such as dhoti-kurta during festivals, saying Indian traditions were gradually disappearing.The seven-time MLA from Kunda further explained the practice of placing names on slips alongside the weapons, saying it helped identify the owners and manage such a large collection.
He maintained that the weapons displayed by him and his supporters were licensed.The ceremony comes against the backdrop of allegations made by his wife, Bhanvi Singh, in September 2025, when she posted a video on social media alleging that Raja Bhaiya possessed a cache of illegal weapons, including firearms that she claimed could pose a threat to public safety. Raja Bhaiya’s close aide, Akshay Pratap, rejected the allegations, saying all weapons associated with Raja Bhaiya and his supporters were legal and licensed.The controversy was followed by a similar Shastra Puja at Benti Palace during Dussehra last year, when more than 200 Indian- and foreign-made weapons, including pistols, revolvers, 12-bore guns, rifles and .30 carbines, were displayed and worshipped.
The latest ceremony, featuring more than 500 weapons, marked the second consecutive year that Raja Bhaiya had publicly organised the ritual following the allegations. The event also saw his twin sons take on prominent roles. Shivraj and Brijraj, who completed their studies in Mumbai, joined the Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) in 2025 and have become increasingly involved in political activities alongside their father.