New Delhi: The ‘humiliation’ allegedly meted out to Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati, the 46th head or “Shankaracharya” of the Jyotirmath in Uttarakhand, by the Uttar Pradesh government on Mauni Amavasya has not only divided the saint fraternity but also the BJP government in the state.
Swami Avimukteshwarananda has alleged the Yogi Adityanath government prevented him from taking a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj on Mauni Amavasya Sunday, an auspicious new moon day, and mistreated his associates, a claim denied by the district administration.
The administration claimed he was stopped as he was accompanied by a large group of followers, estimated at around 200–300, and did not have the necessary permission.
Angry over the alleged mistreatment, the Shankaracharya has been sitting on a dharna on the banks of the Sangam since Mauni Amavasya and has announced that he will not take the holy dip on Basant Panchami.
Swami Avimukteshwarananda also hit out at Yogi Adityanath, stating that he is not worthy of being called a Hindu. “We call him Akbar and Aurangzeb. This is a man who supports demolishing temples,” he told mediapersons.
The issue escalated further after the UP CM on Thursday issued a stern warning against “Kaal Nemi-like forces”. Without taking anyone’s name, the chief minister said that under the pretext of dharma, these forces are “conspiring to weaken” it. He then cautioned the followers of Sanatan Dharma to be vigilant against them.
“Ek yogi ke liye, sanyasi ke liye, sant ke liye, dharm aur rashtra se badhkar kuchh nahin ho sakta. Uski vyaktigat property kuchh nahi hoti hai, dharm aur rashtra hi uska swabhiman hai. Aise kayi Kalnemi honge jo dharma ki aad mein Sanatan Dharm ko kamzor karne ki saazish rach rahe honge. Humein unse sawadhan hona hoga, satarka rehna hoga,” Adityanath said during a pran pratishtha ceremony in Haryana.
(For a yogi, a renunciate, a saint, nothing can be greater than dharma and the nation. He has no personal property; dharma and the nation alone are his self-respect. There may be many such Kālnemis who, under the guise of dharma, are plotting to weaken the Sanatan Dharma. We must remain cautious and vigilant against them.”
Kaal Nemi, a figure from the Ramayana, was a demon who disguised himself as a sage in an attempt to mislead Hanuman as he was flying to bring the Sanjeevani herb from the Himalayas for Lakshman.
Hours after that statement, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya came out in support of Swami Avimukteshwarananda.
Conveying a message of restraint and respect, Maurya referred to the Shankaracharya as “bhagwan Shankaracharya” and said that disrespect to any revered saint, acharya or Shankaracharya is completely unacceptable.
Responding to media queries, Maurya said if any instance of disrespect or insult comes to light, an inquiry will be conducted, and action will be taken against those found guilty.
“We bow at the feet of the Shankaracharya and request him to take the holy dip. The matter should end here. Whoever has done anything (wrong), an enquiry will be carried out. Any revered saint, acharya or Shankaracharya should not be disrespected. If anyone has done it, then action will be taken after an enquiry. First, I pay obeisance at the feet of revered Shankaracharya ji and request him to end his protest and take the holy dip.”
Before Maurya, Uttar Pradesh BJP leader Sunil Bhalara had also stated that insulting the Shankaracharya was akin to insulting the Sanatan Dharma. “In Prayagraj, officers with a demonic mindset humiliated Sanatan by grabbing the shikha of Shankaracharya’s disciples. I want to tell CM Yogi Adityanath to take action against such officers,” he said.
The Uttar Pradesh BJP is also caught in a bind. “The statements made by Yogi ji and Keshav Maurya ji have created a sense of confusion among party leaders as to how to deal with the issue. It is widely known that the two leaders belong to different camps, but this is the first time they have openly clashed on an issue. The state unit seems to be divided once again into two factions,” said a senior party leader.
The controversy refuses to die as the Magh Mela Authority has also issued a notice questioning Swami Avimukteshwarananda’s continued use of the title Shankaracharya. It also sought an explanation on why he uses the title despite the 2022 Supreme Court stay on his coronation.
Even as the Shankaracharya received support from Maurya, several saints as well as the All India Akhara Parishad, backed Yogi Adityanath, stating that there is no shahi snan during the Magh Mela; therefore, Avimukteshwarananda should not have insisted on performing one.
So far, the BJP has not officially reacted on the matter. The Opposition Samajwadi Party has accused the Uttar Pradesh government of targeting the seer and politicising sacred rituals.
The Shankaracharya and his followers have claimed that the UP government’s action is motivated because it has come following Swami Avimukteshwarananda’s criticism of the state government and the chief minister.
Swami Avimukteshwarananda has also received support from the Congress, which has claimed that the Yogi Adityanath government targeted the Hindu seer as he had, on several occasions, criticised decisions of the BJP—including the consecration ceremony of a “half-built” Ram Temple in Ayodhya, mismanagement of the Kumbh Mela, and bodies found floating in the Ganga during the Covid-19 pandemic.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)