The continued Magh Mela in Prayagraj contains Swami Avimukteswaranan and Uttar Pradesh Police taking a holy dip at Triveni Sangam on the event of Mauni Amavasya in January It seems to have changed into a political battleground as political events are at loggerheads over Shankaracharya Saraswati, the chief minister of Uttarakhand’s Jyotirmath, who’s holding a sit-in protest after allegedly interfering with the protests. 18.
Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Occasion (SP) and the Congress have prolonged their help to Avimukteswaranand, attacking the ruling BJP for “disrespecting Sanatan Dharma”. Nevertheless, the BJP itself seems to be divided over the uproar, with most occasion leaders choosing silence whereas others are making conciliatory efforts in opposition to the agitating seers.
Avimukteswaranand has remained adamant about his protests regardless of calls from some Bharatiya Janata Occasion leaders to resolve the problem, refusing to take a holy bathtub along with his supporters till motion is taken in opposition to the officers who “misbehaved” with him and prevented him from coming into the Triveni Sangam on January 18. Since then, he has been disadvantaged of meals and water as he staged a sit-in exterior the Prayagraj camp.
Throughout the course of the protests to this point, the Prayagraj Mela authorities issued a discover to Avimukteshwaranand searching for a response, alleging that he and his supporters tried to “drive march” in the direction of the Triveni Sangam on January 18, which can have led to an enormous crowd, and asking why the Swami shouldn’t be barred from future melas. Nevertheless, in a separate discover, the justice officers escalated the dispute by citing a 2022 Supreme Courtroom order questioning his use of the title ‘Shankaracharya’.
In 2022, Avimukteswaranand’s standing as Shankaracharya was referred to as into query after non secular leaders claimed that his appointment was “not licensed”. The Supreme Courtroom stayed Jyotimat’s coronation as Shankaracharya, leaving the matter for judicial willpower.
In response to the mela authorities’ discover, Avimukteswaranad’s lawyer not solely refuted the costs but additionally threatened to take authorized motion in opposition to the authorities. Nevertheless, because the spat continues, the seer has made statements attacking UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his authorities’s alleged biased actions.
Avimukteswaranad mentioned, “Neither the federal government nor the UP CM and even the President has the ability to resolve who’s the Shankaracharya.”
Seeing a possibility on this uproar, the SP launched a marketing campaign in help of Avimukteswaranand whereas attacking the Bharatiya Janata Occasion authorities for “working in opposition to Sanatan Dharma”.
“If an official asks a Shankaracharya for a certificates, there could be no higher disrespect for Sanatan Dharma…We’ll stand in opposition to anybody, be it the federal government or a person, who disrespects sadhus and saints,” SP chief Akhilesh Yadav mentioned, asserting, “If anybody is breaking the custom of Sanatan Dharma, it’s the Bharatiya Janata Occasion.”
The SP has additionally focused the Bharatiya Janata Occasion authorities on its official social media, saying the ruling occasion will probably be accountable if Abimukteswaranand’s well being deteriorates.
Congress additionally prolonged its help to Swami. On Wednesday, state occasion president Ajay Rai referred to as on him. “The entire folks of Khasi is with you. I promise you that each Sanatani is with you at present,” Rai mentioned, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Occasion authorities of “insulting” Sanatan Dharma.
Though there was no official response from the BJP, the occasion’s deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya urged Avimukteswaranand to take a sacred dip in Prayagraj and promised motion in opposition to those that might have disrespected him. “I pray on the toes of Lord Shankaracharya to cease the continued protest and finish it after taking a dip within the sangam,” Maurya mentioned on Thursday.
Warning motion in opposition to the responsible police officer, Maurya mentioned, “We’ll examine who confirmed disrespect to him. It’s not our motive to indicate disrespect to any saint, Acharya or Shankaracharya. If anybody has completed so, we are going to examine and take motion.”
Nevertheless, CM Adityanath appears to have expressed a unique opinion. “Aise kai karnemi honge jo dharma ki aad fundamental sanatan dharma ko zajir ki sajish,” Adityanath mentioned whereas talking at an occasion in Haryana on Thursday with out naming anybody. Karne Karne Hoga Hoga (There will probably be many such demons who’re conspiring to undermine Sanatan Dharma within the title of faith. We must be cautious and vigilant in opposition to such folks).
This isn’t the primary time Avimukteswaranand has been on the heart of controversy. He had a troubled relationship with the Bharatiya Janata Occasion. Following the lethal bloodbath at Prayagraj’s Kumbh Mela final 12 months, Avimukteswaranand blamed the Adityanath authorities for the incident.
In January 2024, forward of the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Avimukteswaranand not solely refused to attend the ceremony but additionally objected to the consecration being held for a “temple beneath building” on the time.
A 12 months earlier, he had additionally claimed that 228 kg of gold went lacking from the Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand, calling it a “rip-off”.
