- Removing footwear is a fundamental and inviolable part of every Hindu ritual. Anyone unwilling to follow the tenets of Hindu Dharma has no right to head the shrine board of such a highly revered Devasthan.
- This incident once again underscores the urgent need to free temples from government control and entrust them to genuine devotees rather than such arrogant administrators. – Editor, HJS
Jammu – A video of IAS officer Sachin Kumar Vaishya, CEO of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, has gone viral, drawing widespread criticism.
Vaishya had arrived to inaugurate a new souvenir shop associated with the Shrine Board in Katra. A priest was performing puja and chanting mantras when he asked the officer to remove his shoes before proceeding with the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Vaishya reacted with visible annoyance and said, “That’s why I do not attend such functions”.
Those present appeared uncomfortable, but remained silent.
Meet IAS Sachin Kumar Vaishya who is earning his livelihood working as the CEO of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board but he is not willing to even remove his shoes for the same. Such arrogant and entitled officers are a burden on tax payers money.pic.twitter.com/INf1yjhPFF
— NCMIndia Council For Men Affairs (@NCMIndiaa) April 7, 2026
Public backlash
Sachin Kumar Vaishya is an IAS officer of the 2015 batch and currently serves as Deputy Commissioner of Jammu with additional charge as CEO of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. The incident has triggered strong public backlash, with many users and organisations calling him arrogant and entitled. Many have argued that an officer responsible for managing one of India’s most revered Hindu pilgrimage sites should respect its basic traditions.
One user wrote: “Meet IAS Sachin Kumar Vaishya who earns his livelihood as CEO of the Shrine Board but is not willing to even remove his shoes. Such arrogant officials are a burden on taxpayers’ money.”
BJP Yuva Morcha leader Tandav Singh, and other voices have demanded his immediate removal from the post, stating that a person with such a mindset should not head the affairs of Mata Vaishno Devi.