Lucknow, Jan 21 (PTI) Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday accused the BJP government of deliberately insulting shankaracharyas and seers, breaking long-established Sanatan traditions.
His remarks came against the backdrop of police allegedly stopping Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati from taking a holy dip at the confluence of three rivers in Prayagraj on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya on Sunday.
A day later, the Magh Mela administration issued a notice to Saraswati asking how he was projecting himself as the Shankaracharya of Jyotish Peeth despite a Supreme Court order stating that no religious leader could be enthroned as Shankaracharya of Jyotishpeeth until the disposal of an appeal.
Reacting to the issue, Yadav said Shankaracharyas and seers are the pride of society, and countless devotees visit them to seek blessings, which is part of the Sanatan Dharma tradition.
“The BJP is breaking these traditions. Seers and shankaracharyas are being deliberately insulted. The BJP government has misbehaved with Shankaracharyas and seers through its officials,” he alleged.
The Samajwadi Party chief said if an official asks a Shankaracharya for identity proof or credentials, “there can be no greater insult to Sanatan Dharma than this”.
“The BJP government has insulted the Sanatan Dharma, Shankaracharyas, seers, the Magh Mela and the country,” he claimed.
The former chief minister further alleged that the BJP government was flouting the Constitution. “Under this government, no one is being treated with respect,” he said.
“The seers who walk on the path of truth and honesty are the real ones. Some people function according to the government’s wishes; they are not true seers,” Yadav added.
Accusing the BJP of acting arbitrarily, Yadav alleged that the government wanted to suppress people’s voices and the truth. “Those who do not work according to the BJP are harassed in various ways. Notices are issued, and agencies like the CBI and ED are used to trouble them,” he alleged. PTI ABN ABN NSD NSD
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